A new social networking site has been set up to encourage more people to take up voluntary work and help others by drawing on their own life experiences.

Horsesmouth.co.uk is an online mentoring site which allows people to register as mentors and provide advice and guidance on a numerous life issues to a wide variety of users.

More than 4,000 people have already signed up to provide mentoring services on subjects such as divorce, coping with death, managing stress and living with disabilities.

The site, which provides an excellent platform for people working for voluntary and charity organisations and those who wish to start, allows mentors to dedicate as much or as little of their time as they wish to their role.

The website’s founder MT Rainey said people’s own knowledge and experience is often a huge untapped resource from which many others can benefit.

"If eBay is about the stuff you’ve got locked up in the attic, then horsesmouth is about the stuff you’ve got locked up in your head and heart," he commented.

Following on from such guidance, it is possible that third sector institutions will be able to work more effectively with network partners on the delivery of their services.

Meanwhile English Heritage has also launched a social networking site to allow those working for heritage sector organisations to chat about the projects they are involved in.

More about network partners.