Befriender for the 5s to 13s Project

Befriender for the 5s to 13s Project

Posted for Friends of the Family

Posted by Volunteer First

Register your interest

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Friends of the Family is a small local charity supporting families and their children aged 0-13 years. They do this through three projects:

• Mums and Young Children: A twice weekly therapeutic support group for mothers and their children under 3 years of age.
• 5s to 13s Befriending: A befriending service for children aged 5 to 13.
• Dads Support: Individual counselling and a monthly group for fathers with young children.

N.B. All volunteering opportunities are subject to a clear enhanced DBS check.

What skills do I need?

We are looking for caring, friendly volunteers to befriend and offer support to vulnerable families and their children aged 5 to 13.

Training will be provided for volunteers to befriend a child on a 1:1 basis, both indoors and outside of the family home for two hours a week. Due to the child's age, the two hour volunteering period is likely to be after school or at the weekend and during the school holidays.

Our main aim is to help families to help themselves by giving them friendly support for as long as they need it and so make a difference to these young children's lives. We hope that our volunteers will use their own life experiences and skills to encourage families to discover their own strengths, build their confidence and encourage them to find their own solutions to difficulties. We hope that volunteers will commit to the role for a minimum of a year so that positive relationships built on trust and confidentiality can be developed.

In return volunteers will be given initial training, receive regular professional supervision and be provided with ongoing training opportunities. Own transport is required but travel expenses will be reimbursed.