Through befriending sessions, Theresa helped Eilidh find her confidence and learn new skills.
Theresa joined People Know How as a Volunteer Befriender in 2022 after her daughter left for university. With this extra time, she knew she wanted to support a young person and make a difference in their life. Our befriending programme, part of the Positive Transitions service, pairs a befriender with a child or young person who needs support, giving them a chance to share their interests and often get a break in a busy home environment.
The pandemic had a lasting impact on children; separating friends, closing schools, and impacting self-esteem. Eilidh struggled with confidence and had felt isolated during COVID-19. When we began to support her in 2022, she was wary of this new experience.
In a time where technology is everywhere, Theresa looked for a way in which she could share her love for crafts and skills that the younger tech-driven generation may have missed out on. Working in a bank often leads Theresa to miss out on her creative side so she relished this opportunity to share her passion with Eilidh.
Learning together
Though their sessions started off slowly, Eilidh shared some of her interests and worries she had in navigating school life. When she mentioned her worry about a talk she had at a school assembly, Theresa worked with Eilidh to build her confidence, reflecting on her daughter's school experience and her own experiences as a mother. Through positive affirmations and practice sessions with Theresa, Eilidh went into her assembly with her head held high and was so excited to share how well the assembly went.
Eilidh would often struggle to keep focused and get frustrated when she couldn’t do something straight away. Theresa’s arts and crafts sessions helped a lot with this, as they practiced new crafts together, learning as they went along. She showed Eilidh that the process of doing crafts is just as fun as reaching the end result. As the sessions progressed, they learned lots of new skills including paper mâché, crochet, and bonnet making.
Theresa’s support has also helped Eilidh support others, as she recently became a buddy to a primary 2 child, helping them settle into a new school and make new friends.
A little help goes a long way
The befriending process helped Theresa to have a greater understanding of the different experiences that young people have today, giving her a new perspective on the challenges of growing up.
Being a Befriender has been extremely rewarding. Theresa gets to learn about and support the younger generation and she can take those skills into her work. She leaves sessions with a positive energy that she implements into her day-to-day life.
Our VIP Management team has always been on hand should she need anything, but she’s found the process seamless and urges others to give befriending a go.