Where: 2/F East Wing, 12 Borrett Road, Central. What: Established in 1991, Kely Support Group is a local charity that encourages self-help among young people through peer support. The group offers counselling, peer support programmes, e-mail hotline services ( help@kely.org ), school workshops, and outreach projects for teenagers. How: Call 2521 6890 for more information or visit www.kely.org to register. The group needs talented volunteers in all sorts of areas such as music, visual arts, drama, circus performance, hotline counselling, fund-raising, web design, sports and adventure activities. Teen volunteer: Rowan Thane, 16, is a student at the Australian International School. He has been teaching circus tricks and performing for Kely since September last year. 'I help out at Kely mainly in the circus department. I specialise in diabolo (a trick of balancing or tossing a spool-shaped object on a whirling string fastened to two sticks). We do performances at schools and teach kids how to juggle or use different circus items. The age of students varies from about eight to 19. It's good as I get to interact with different age groups and improve my skills as a teacher. Teaching little kids is hard. It involves a lot of energy so you have to be active and enthusiastic about everything you do. Sometimes they can be quite hyperactive. I change from a 16-year-old into an eight-year-old. I act the way they do and let them understand what's going on. If they don't understand, I put it in their terms. Apart from the circus stuff, the students learn how to have a sense of humour and take a joke. We did a performance last Friday at my school when Jackie Chan came to speak. This was my best and most memorable time at Kely. I have learnt to perform in front of a large crowd without being nervous. I have also learnt how to interact with others in a friendly and inviting way. Above all, I have learnt more about myself and my hidden talents. I am actually quite a nervous person and used to dislike performing. But I have, to a certain extent, overcome my shyness. I still make mistakes, but it's okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them.'
