Lifeline WA's celebrates remote training program Volunteer at Home for regional volunteers

Anne, a Mandurah mum and now volunteer, is giving back to Lifeline for the support it provided her late son.

"Lifeline was really good at just giving him a sense of wellbeing that allowed him to keep focus and stay steady throughout the day," Anne said.

Anne is part of a program Volunteer at Home that uses remote technology to give regional volunteers the same training and supervision as those in the Perth hub.

It was launched in August last year, with 35 students across three cohorts taking part in the pilot project, many of whom are in the final stages of becoming a fully accredited crisis supporter.

Anne said the program had significantly impacted her life and was grateful for the support she received from the trainers.

"It's been a been a really steep learning curve, but one that has really allowed me to grow as a person," she said.

"It's really just a sense of purpose and privilege that you've been allowed to enter into people's lives at their most vulnerable and you've been able to support them at a very critical time and give them a sense of hope," she said.

Anne and her fellow students completed 10 training sessions and five telephone shifts under the guidance of a mentor before beginning the process to transition to answering calls from home.

Lifeline WA is celebrating the success of training remote volunteers, with more than 2000 calls answered so far.