Ways to Get Involved
At TELL, we have staff based in Tokyo, Kansai, Kyushu, and Okinawa, so there are a number of places where you can join events or volunteer in person around the country. We also work a lot online, so even if these areas are not accessible for you, hopefully, there will be something that appeals that you can join soon! Joining an event, volunteering, or fundraising benefits TELL, but also can be good for us as we join these activities. Being part of something can benefit our mental and physical health and wellbeing, help us feel part of a community, give us purpose, and also be fun!
If you’re not sure what opportunities there are to get involved with TELL or you’ve joined an event or two and are thinking that maybe you would like to do more, here is a guide to the different activities and opportunities we offer.
Take part in an event
We host some fun events like pub quizzes, music nights, knitting/crafting groups and game nights. Some of these events happen regularly on a monthly basis, while others have a more eclectic schedule, but they can be a great way to support TELL, connect with the community and have fun.
You can follow TELL on social media or subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay informed about what is happening, where and when. We would love to have you join us for an event where you can connect with others while doing something you already enjoy, or where you get the chance to try something new!
Join a workshop or training
We work with our staff, clinicians, and experts in the community to host and develop a range of workshops and training opportunities on a wide range of topics concerning mental health, parenting, education and wellbeing.
We provide workshops and training opportunities to the community, schools and universities, workplaces and embassies. For more information, see https://telljp.com/management-and-employee-training/ or https://telljp.com/outreach/
One Off Event Volunteer
Want to give something back to the community, but you have limited time to spare? Want to see what TELL is about before getting too deeply involved? There are opportunities to join us on a one off basis by helping out at an event, whether that be a regular community event like the pub quizzes or games nights mentioned above, or one of our bigger annual outings like the Tokyo Tower Climb or supporting us as we show up as allies for the LGBTQIA+ community at a Pride Festival! We are a small team, so we are always grateful for the support of volunteers! You can express your interest in supporting TELL using the volunteer registration form here
Short Term Volunteering
Special Skills Volunteer
Do you have special skills and maybe some time to give? Sometimes there are opportunities available to support TELL’s work using your talents. Maybe you are a content creator, a copywriter, a designer etc Maybe you have speaking skills and can share your knowledge about legal practices, therapeutic styles etc
Long Term Regular Volunteering
Train to be a Lifeline Support Worker
Are you interested in supporting others? Think you can be there for people, whatever issues they might be dealing with? Can you listen to others without judging them or feeling the need to offer advice or trying to fix their problems? Think you are a good listener or maybe you’re interested in developing your empathetic active listening skills and improving your knowledge of the resources and services available in Japan?
Can you commit to 4-5 months of training and then a minimum further 12 months offering your support for 10 hours a month as a lifeline support worker?
We know it’s a lot. But we take the role of support worker very seriously. Most of the time, you would be taking your shifts and offering your support solo. There is no one sitting alongside you who can jump in and take over if you feel unsure or out of your depth. So, we need you to feel ready to handle whatever comes your way during your shift. And the way we try to ensure you feel prepared is to have everyone go through a really comprehensive training program that is made up of 10 weeks of online classes, role plays and evaluations, followed by a period of supervised work on the line, before you start to work independently.
You are responsible for committing to 2 shifts a month and a 2-hour group supervision meeting each month for a minimum of 12 months following graduation to solo work on the lifeline. While you will be taking shifts solo for the majority of the time, we don’t throw you in the deep end and leave you alone to sink or swim. We know that supporting others can be really rewarding, but also know that it is not an easy task. Being there for others, listening to them with empathy, can also bring up our own feelings, memories, and concerns. We can’t always leave the conversations from the shifts behind when the shift is over. So we want support workers to know they don’t have to process these conversations and the emotions alone. Every lifeline support worker is assigned to a supervisory group, and alongside monthly meetings, you would be welcome to check in with your supervisors as needed and talk through anything that your shifts have brought up. We care about the service users of the line, but we also value and care about our volunteers.
Think becoming a lifeline support worker might be a good fit for you? You can find more information about the role and the training involved here, or attend one of the lifeline volunteer information sessions where you can learn more and ask questions to get an even better idea of what is required. (The next info session is on July 15th).
Fundraise
Want to raise vital funds and awareness to support our mission? Want to shatter the stigma around mental health and make a noise at your school, workplace or in your community?
The sky’s the limit! Join one of TELL’s events and use the event as a springboard to raise funds to help us provide services such as the toll free lifeline, subsidised professional counselling, free outreach events and workshops. Creating a campaign on Donorbox can be a fun way to raise money while also engaging in some friendly rivalry with other departments, classes, companies etc! Feel good while doing good!
Maybe your workplace has a corporate matching gift program where your company is willing to match employee donations?
- Fancy being a DIY fundraiser? Again, the possibilities are endless! At work, school or in your community maybe you want to raise funds while doing something you enjoy? Some possible activities could be:
- Hosting a bake sale
- Livestream on Twitch
- Hosting a class or event and donating the fee/a percentage of the fee to TELL
- Taking part in a charity walk, run or swim
- Joining a Zumba marathon!
- Decluttering and selling off some unloved treasures
- Hosting a clothing swap
- Hosting a photowalk
- Taking on a challenge to visit every one of Japan’s 47 prefectures
The world’s your oyster! Doing something you enjoy while raising funds to support our mission can be a win-win situation! Every yen raised is truly appreciated and can really make a difference.
For more ideas, see our Fundraising Toolkit or visit the Fundraising Hub on the TELL website
Sponsor
Supporting TELL as a sponsor makes a meaningful difference by ensuring that longer term financial support is there for us to commit to delivering programs and services that benefit the community. Our sponsors partner with us for a year at a time and mean we are able to provide programs like mental health workshops, suicide prevention gatekeeper training, lifeline school awareness visits, provide subsidised mental health counselling for individuals in need, offer the lifeline as a toll free service etc etc Sponsorship support allows TELL to focus on providing the support and services that we are passionate about and is incredibly valuable. As a sponsoring organisation or individual, there are also benefits that can include workshops and trainings for your group, free tickets to TELL events, publicity and inclusion in publicity materials etc.
Learn more about becoming a TELL sponsor here.
Donate
Want to support TELL financially as an individual or organisation? Donations are always welcome, whether as a one off donation, a regular microdonation, or on a regular basis. We know that times are tough and that the cost of living is rising. Making the choice to give your money to an NPO is a generous act. We want you to know that it makes a difference. We really value any and every donation that you give.
TELL is an Approved Specified Nonprofit Corporation certified by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. All donations over ¥3,000 are tax-deductible in Japan.
Want to know where your money goes? Your donations support:
Lifeline Toll-Free Expenses and Other Operational Costs
Lifeline Volunteer Training
Subsidized Counseling
Community Mental Health Workshops
Corporate Mental Health Workshops
Other Community Mental Health Services
In 2024, TELL provided support through:
9,411 calls and chats on the Lifeline
12,000+ sessions delivered by TELL Counseling
More than 40% of all counseling sessions were provided at a subsidised rate for those in need
Just under 7,500 people attended our workshops and programs on mental health
There is more information about our activities, events, and ways to get involved on the TELL website. TELL events, Short-term/event volunteer, Lifeline Support Worker, Fundraise, Sponsor, and Donate.