Sending and receiving messages

You can send a private message to any other volunteer on the site. You don't need to be connected first.

Step 1 — Open someone's profile

Click their name anywhere you see it — on a post, in a member list, or in the directory.

Step 2 — Click Send Message

Near the top of their profile is a Send Message button (or a chat-bubble icon on smaller screens). Click it. A short dialog opens titled Message [name].

Step 3 — Type and send

Type your message in the text box — up to 2000 characters, with a live counter underneath. Click Send. The dialog confirms it sent and closes itself after a moment. The conversation then appears in your inbox.

Where to find your replies

Click Inbox in the sidebar to see every conversation you've started or received. Unread conversations show in bold with a coloured background and a count badge on the avatar. We also send you an email so you never miss a reply (unless you've turned that off in your notification settings).

Want richer formatting?

The profile dialog is a plain text box — no bold, italics, links, or attachments. To get the full formatting toolbar (and to attach files), send your first short message from the profile, then continue the conversation from inside the Inbox — the reply composer there is the rich editor.