THEY give up hours of their time to help people during the darkest days of their lives.

Yet little is known about the volunteers at victim and witness support — until people need to use the service.

There are 35 volunteers in Bolton of all ages and backgrounds who help thousands of people each year.

Everyone reacts differently to being a victim of crime and the volunteers tailor their help to each and every person they see.

They are specially trained to be able to work with victims of all types of crimes.

This help can also be extended to friends and family of the victims, who have been indirectly affected by the crime.

Between April 1 and March 31 the charity received 6,600 referrals in Bolton from police and other agencies.

They arranged 602 visits with crime victims and helped 1,372 witnesses at court.

Former Magistrate Gerard Dawber, aged 71, started volunteering 12 months ago.

He said: “People can be affected in many ways. They might feel normal for a while and then things fall apart.

“Some people are surprised how emotional they are after suffering a crime. We have their best interests in mind and help them secure the services they need.

“We are a listening ear and can help them deal with their feelings through challenging times.”

Volunteers at Victim Support give practical advice as well as emotional support.

For example if someone has been a victim of burglary, they can help ensure the home is more secure.

And they can set challenges for victims at the end of each session to help them move on, for example if someone has been the victim of domestic abuse they can try to avoid reading text or emails from their abuser.

The national charity was established in 1973 is independent of the police and criminals justice agencies.

Nuala Kelly, volunteer service manager: “The volunteers also get self referrals from people who have not reported the crime to the police.

“Sometimes after getting support they can feel ready to report it, but they don’t have to report it to get help from us.”

University of Bolton student, Lauren Davenport, aged 22, is trained to work with victims of domestic and sexual abuse. She said: “Some people will come in one day and get it off their chest. Others come in for weeks or months. We do whatever the individual wants and needs. They can come to the office, or we can go to their homes or they can phone us whenever they need to.

“We have no bias or prejudice and do not know that person. Sometimes people feel it is easier to speak to someone impartial who they don’t know.”

As well as helping victims when the crime initially happens, they also support them and witnesses through the court process. This can include visiting court prior to a trial so people can feel as comfortable as possible to give the best evidence. For more details or to get help from victim support call 01204 399736.