Wayne decided to become a volunteer as he wants to be a positive male role model for young people and support them to enjoy their childhood. He joined Aberlour in March 2023 supporting our service team in Dundee.
“I was interested in volunteering as I had a rough childhood myself and decided that I wanted to help to support young people and help them enjoy their childhood. I want to be a good role model for children and young people and be someone they can trust and talk to. I feel very passionate about using the experience I have to bring out the very best in young people, no matter who they are, or what they have been through or are going through. Every young person deserves companionship, fun, safety, nourishment, encouragement and to simply be a child/young person.
“I think it is very important that young people have male support as it is key to their development. Male role models can provide the young person with a strong leadership model and teach young people the importance of feelings and emotions. It’s important for young people to learn that it is okay to seek support from other people.”
Wayne shared what he believes are essential skills and qualities to be a mentor and befriender to children and young people.
“I think you need to be a very good listener and be able to communicate with people from all walks of life and backgrounds. You must have the ability to be empathetic and understand the needs of young people. You also need to be approachable as it can be difficult for a young person to engage with other people due to factors such as isolation, trauma, vulnerability or being unsure of who they can trust. You will also need to be resilient as you might be a confidante for the young person and hear distressing things. However, at Aberlour you are never alone as you go through training, and you always have a named volunteer staff member that you can talk to at any time. Most of all, I think it is imperative that you are full of fun and can pull your sleeves up and get stuck in making mud pies or having water fights, to helping a family with respite while you take the young person away swimming or shopping.”
Volunteering has given Wayne the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people and would encourage others to get involved.
“During my mentoring sessions I listened to and supported a young person through school, spending time with him working on school assignments and homework and listening to things he went through as a child. I was able to be a person he could trust. He didn’t know what he wanted to do when he left school, so I encouraged him to speak with his career advisor and I found out what his interests were out with school. Between us we found a college course that would be suitable for him. Recently my young person told me that he decided to leave school as he had been accepted into the college course he wanted to do. He thanked me for steering him in that direction. It was such a buzz for me as I felt I had made a positive impact on his life. That was a very good day.
“I have since been matched with another young person and it’s at an early stage yet – he didn’t trust me at the start as other adults have come and gone in his life. However, I have met him every week without fail and I am hopefully proving to him that I am not going anywhere. Just last week he started to open up to me slightly – I think this is a fantastic step on his part.
“I have felt I have made a difference and I know you can too.”