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Get Connected celebrates ten year anniversary and looks to future with innovative WebHelp 24/7 service

New online support unveiled at the House of Lords

Get Connected this week announced the launch of a new online directory service that will help young people find solutions to a wide range of issues, from coping with mental illness to homelessness. The service named WebHelp 24/7 has been developed in collaboration with Patni Computer Systems, a major global IT services provider.

The launch of WebHelp 24/7 is timed to coincide with the charity’s ten-year anniversary celebrations at the House of Lords. Hosted by Charles Dunstone, Chief Executive of The Carphone Warehouse a major supporter of Get Connected, and the Baroness Morgan of Huyton, the event brought together high profile figures from government and business as well as the supporters and volunteers who have made Get Connected a success over the past decade.

Research undertaken as part of the development project revealed young men aged between 18 and 24 in particular prefer to seek information online. Worryingly only 6% of young men would seek professional help for emotional problems. This means that a group of ‘lost boys’ are missing out on the help they could receive from a broad range of charities in the UK.

WebHelp 24/7 is designed to encourage young people who are reluctant to discuss their problems over the phone, and would prefer to use an online service, to make contact with Get Connected. They can then choose the source of help they prefer.

Fiona Clark, Interim Chief Executive of Get Connected, said: “Our commitment is to provide a valuable service and offer emotional support to young people in need of help, who would not necessarily find it easy to track down the right source of information for their particular problem. We’re extremely grateful to The Carphone Warehouse for their invaluable ongoing support and we’re delighted to welcome Patni as our latest partner. Their dedication to the Webhelp 24/7 project has enabled us to expand the range of ways that young people can access help, particularly by those who, for whatever reason, prefer to surf than chat.”

Jeya Kumar, Chief Executive of Patni, explained why Patni has chosen Get Connected as its EMEA Charity of the Year in 2009: “We see the service that Get Connected provides as invaluable to young people in the UK and congratulate Get Connected on its tenth anniversary.

“It’s always vital to remember that technology moves on all the time – and that young people in particular like to use new and different channels. Our research identified that young men prefer to seek out information online initially, instead of talking to a human being. We are pleased to have been invited to contribute to this project.”

Charles Dunstone, Chief Executive of The Carphone Warehouse, added: “We are delighted to see Get Connected launch WebHelp 24/7, such a vital service deserves and must have our support. We will continue to help Get Connected drive forward their vision that every young person in the UK can find appropriate support for their emotional and physical wellbeing.”