Community Ambassador’s guide

Community ambassador guide

Community ambassadors help create safe, friendly, and welcoming spaces across HealthUnlocked. Ambassadors are not moderators but play a key role in community development by encouraging participation, supporting members, and setting the tone for healthy discussions.

This guide provides practical advice to help ambassadors start conversations, build trust, and respond appropriately to difficult situations.

Table of contents

• Your role as an ambassador
• Creating conversation opportunities
• Encouraging introductions
• Building a sense of community
• Introducing rituals and traditions
• Dealing with conflict
• Self-harm or suicide posts
• Need help?

Your role as an ambassador

As an ambassador, you help create the kind of community where people feel safe sharing their health experiences.

Your responsibilities include:

• Replying to new posts and welcoming members
• Asking inclusive, supportive questions
• Encouraging others to introduce themselves
• Helping maintain a positive tone in the group
• Notifying admins when issues arise

You are not expected to moderate posts, restrict users, or act as a medical professional. If something serious happens, escalate it to your admin or the HealthUnlocked support team.

Creating conversation opportunities

Many people are hesitant to post when they first join. As an ambassador, one of your most valuable roles is to help break the silence.

Ways to create engagement:

• Reply to every new post if possible. Even a simple response shows members they are heard.
• Ask open-ended questions like “What helped you most when you were first diagnosed?”
• Make posts relatable to a range of experiences: diagnosis, treatment, recovery, emotional health, and daily life.
• Use images to make posts more engaging.

If no one replies, don’t be discouraged. Try reposting later or asking a slightly different question. You can also tag members who have posted about a similar experience to invite their input.

Encouraging introductions

Introductions are often the easiest way for a new member to make their first contribution.

Encourage introductions by:

• Posting friendly welcome messages like:

  "New here? Feel free to introduce yourself. Tell us where you're from, how you chose your username, or what brought you to the community."

• Sharing your own story first. When members see others doing it, they are more likely to follow.

You can also guide them with prompts like:

1. How did you choose your username?
2. Where are you from?
3. What are your current health goals or challenges?

Building a sense of community

A strong sense of belonging keeps people coming back. You can help foster this by making the space feel personal and consistent.

What creates a sense of community?

• Common interests: members with similar conditions or experiences
• Regular interaction: active posting and replying
• Emotional support: kind, thoughtful responses to personal posts
• Shared history: references to previous conversations
• Recognisable member identities: usernames that become familiar

A good rule: no post left unanswered

Think of a post like someone walking into a room to speak — if no one replies, it can feel like they were ignored. Make sure every post receives some kind of acknowledgment, even if just a short comment or question.

Introducing rituals and traditions

Recurring community moments make participation easier and more natural.

Examples of rituals:

• Weekly check-ins: "How has your week been?"
• Monthly updates: “Share one thing that’s helped you recently”
• Milestone posts: celebrate when the community hits a member count or age
• Awareness weeks: invite members to share their stories
• Birthday shoutouts: optional but adds a lovely personal touch

Tip: Use the same format or image each time so members begin to recognise the pattern.

Dealing with conflict

Ambassadors should never take sides or get involved in arguments. Instead:

• If someone breaks the rules, do not respond — flag the post to your admin or use the report function.
• If someone seems suspicious but hasn’t broken the rules, ignore them and notify the admin to monitor their activity.

Always reference the HealthUnlocked guidelines or Terms of Use if you're unsure.

Self-harm or suicide posts

HealthUnlocked is not a crisis or medical platform. If a member shares content suggesting self-harm or suicide:

1. Do not reply or try to handle it yourself
2. Report the post immediately to your admin or the HealthUnlocked team
3. The admin will remove the content and follow up privately with signposting to support services

These posts can be distressing for other members, so prompt reporting helps protect the wider community.

Need help?

If you’re unsure how to respond to a situation or need support:

• Contact your community admin
• Or email the HealthUnlocked team at support@healthunlocked.com

Thank you for helping make your community a safe, supportive space.