What attracted me to becoming a Befriender was that I had volunteered at Home-Start Wigtownshire for five years working with 0-3 year olds and I wanted to expand my knowledge and experience working with older children and the Befriending role fitted the criteria perfectly (8-18 year olds). Befriending gives a young person the skills to help them tackle difficulties either at home, school or in the wider community before they get too big through extra support in helping them become the best version of themselves. This is achieved through listening, problem-solving and confidence building which are acquired through learning and doing new activities together.
After you complete your training you and the young person will have a meeting to see if you are a ‘match’. I always remember being told ‘don’t take it personally if it isn’t a match’ which eases the nerves and takes the pressure off to allow the meeting to be relaxed because the young person will probably be as nervous as you. You just need one thing to spark a conversation and a light bulb moment and we bonded over ‘competitiveness’ as I had a sporting background and this peaked his interest as he was also ‘competitive’ (little did he know, golf wasn’t my sport, but he did find out later, hence I became the trusty caddy).
Not all children have the best start in life, but by giving your time it is one of the most valuable things that you can do for a young person because you are creating memories that they will cherish for a lifetime. We often have a laugh when we reminisce about past activities together. Through doing activities together you are also showing them the opportunities that life has to offer and a future that is bright and where they can fulfill their full potential, because all they need is one person to believe in them. However, don’t expect change to happen overnight. It takes time to build trust and there will be bumps in the road but if you are patient, calm and ever present and even if it’s not always visible you are making more of an impact than you think.
The greatest reward being a Befriender is when your young person sees you and their face lights up with the biggest smile. It’s in that moment that you know you are making a difference.
