In the summer of 2021, Jo was matched as a Volunteer Befriender with Aberlour’s Sustain service. Having had previous experience of befriending, Jo was looking for another Scottish children’s charity to support.
“I really enjoyed my previous experiences of befriending. I’ve always felt it’s important to give your time when you can, and I had time to spare. I loved that Aberlour had a range of different programmes and activities for supporting Scottish children and their families throughout the whole country. Having worked previously in the justice sector, I know how vital early intervention is, so Aberlour’s vision of reaching children and their families before a point of crisis really resonated with me. Now I’m a Befriender to a fantastic mum of three.”
When Jo moved away from Scotland, she remained committed to supporting her Befriendee, continuing contact remotely and they have built a trusting relationship.
“I remotely befriend via video calls – so really just having a good blether! When I first started with my current Befriendee, I was still living and working in Scotland. We went on a few walks and coffee and cake trips before we moved remotely, but the main activity – a good blether! – has stayed the same.”
“I like to think it has given the mum I work with just a safe non-judgemental space to talk things through. You’re not there to solve their problems but you can be there to lend an ear. I think that really can make a difference – someone who is not part of their normal network and who doesn’t have an agenda. It feels nice being there for someone through a challenging time.”
Jo also feels that volunteering has been a positive experience for her, helping to develop her own skills, and would encourage others to get involved.
“Aside from the initial training giving me skills and information on things like child protection, befriending also helps me improve my listening and communication skills – which is great since my day job is in communications! I think volunteering can be incredibly grounding and it’s really rewarding doing something that is totally different from what you do for work.”
“It really doesn’t matter who you are or what stage you are in life – Aberlour gives you all the training and ongoing support that you could possibly need and it’s incredibly rewarding. Thank you to Aberlour for supporting me to continue befriending on a remote basis – a true testament to their vision & values.”