What made you decide to volunteer for Befriend a Child?
“My sister had been a befriender and she spoke so highly of Befriend a Child and her time with her befriendee. I volunteered for years as a Girls Brigade Leader and I wanted to volunteer for another organisation – Befriend a Child was the one that really interested me. I had a really full on job, and I thought it would do me good too, getting me out and about, doing different fun things.”
How has having a befriender helped your befriendee?
“To begin with, Rhys was really reserved and very rarely made eye contact with me. I didn’t put any pressure on him and really let him lead in what activities we did. We have been together now for 6 years, and it has flown past. Rhys and I love doing outdoor activities and last year Rhys watched a documentary on Ben Nevis so said to me he really wanted to hike it and be above the clouds. We had done walks before with my dog Hamish but nothing that big! So, I challenged him to build up to it. We climbed Scolty Hill, Millstone Hill, Bennachie, Clachanben and two Munros, Mayar and Driesh in 2023 from April to September. Hopefully, we can reach his goal of Ben Nevis! Rhys would never have found his love for hill walking if it wasn’t for Befriend a Child. His confidence has grown so much, he’s more comfortable within himself and he is a lot more outgoing. I am really proud of him.”
How has being a befriender impacted you?
“It’s really rewarding to be a person that someone trusts and relies on. It is also just really fun and you get to do things that you wouldn’t normally do. It also gives me a confidence boost also, the little comments that Rhys says to me mean a lot. He used to call Hamish and I “The Adventurers”.”
What would you say to someone thinking about befriending?
“Go for it! It’s flexible, after your year commitment of outings twice a month, you can take the child out fortnightly or monthly depending on your and befriendees circumstances & what’s agreed with your allocated BAC support worker.
The training courses you get access to are great for further learning to allow you to enhance existing skills to assist you in becoming the best version of yourself for the child you’re befriending. It’s also a good addition to a CV.
Most importantly it’s fun, get to try new things and channel your inner child, whilst being a friend to a child who will benefit from a caring and secure relationship.
