The COVID-19 pandemic has affected families in many different ways across the country. Elizabeth shares how our North Ayrshire service saved her family when things were completely out of control. Elizabeth & Adele’s Story The Coronavirus pandemic was really tough for our family and it nearly broke us. Before the first lockdown Adele was shown … Continued
“I feel incredibly proud to say that I stand up for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. I want to help shape the future of the young people we support to freely express who they are.” This June, we’ve celebrated Pride Month, where we raise awareness and celebrate the lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ … Continued
I started volunteering with Aberlour’s befriending service in October 2020. I had suffered from anxiety and depression. As part of my efforts to improve my mental health, I wanted to find new ways to engage positively with my local community and contribute towards improving it in some way. I had already started volunteering elsewhere … Continued
I have always wanted to become a foster carer. I come from a very large family and have always been there to help my younger family members through any hard times in their lives. I knew I wanted to help children as every child deserves a happy childhood. At 32 I decided it was time … Continued
My husband and I have been foster carers with Aberlour for 9 years. Fostering was something we always thought about doing. We both worked in the care sector, my husband still does, and my parents were foster carers while I was growing up. We were just waiting for the right time for us and 2012 … Continued
This February, It’s LGBT History Month, where we raise awareness and celebrate the lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ people in our communities. We strive to promote diversity and inclusion throughout Aberlour, including supporting our young people to embrace who they are and achieve their full potential. Luna has been supported by Aberlour’s Glasgow Family Service since she … Continued
To celebrate Student Volunteering Week Ciara shares her story on why she wanted to volunteer for Aberlour and the benefits she has gained from volunteering. Ciara’s Story As a Psychology student with a keen interest in the domains of Forensic and Clinical Psychology, the opportunities Aberlour offered were the perfect fit for both utilizing my … Continued
My job is to support young people and children growing up in vulnerable families with weekly face to face meetings; either at one of our youth clubs and workshops or out and about on our weekly street shifts. This is a fantastic way to engage the youth with fun activities that may otherwise keep them … Continued
“Volunteering at Aberlour has been very fulfilling for me. I have been teaching music ever since I first learned guitar at the age of 16, and it is really great to give young people the chance to do the same.” Watch Mike’s online concert with a young person he teaches:
Meet Lorna*, the owner of a farm offering short breaks and equine therapy sessions to young people and children promoting learning, mental well-being, and nature connection. The children and young people that visit the farm are between 7 and 20 years old and have a range of different needs. Encountering farm animals and life … Continued
Meet Catelyn, she and her husband have been foster carers with Aberlour and have fostered 3 children. Catelyn shares why she became a foster carer and why others should too. Something you didn’t know you needed Becoming a foster carer was not something I planned, it just happened. I was doing a favour to my … Continued
Liz has been Sarah’s foster carer for under a year. Together they share their journey, the ups, the downs and their exciting plans for the future. Liz begins by explaining why she wanted to become a foster carer: “About three years ago I started looking into fostering. I wanted to support a teenage girl around … Continued
Three years ago, we received a call which changed my partner, Brian, and I lives forever. Brian’s sister had taken her own life. She had moved to England a year earlier with her daughter Zoe but due to family circumstances we hadn’t been in touch for a while. As soon as we received the call … Continued
Jen, one of our student volunteers, explains why she wanted to volunteer with Aberlour and what she loves the most. “My name is Jen, I’m 29 and I have been volunteering with Aberlour Children’s Charity since around May 2019.” “I wanted to get involved in volunteering since starting at University. I study Psychology as my … Continued
David first met Aberlour when he was 8 years-old and stayed in one of our residential homes. Then at 12 years-old through Aberlour Fostering David went to stay with his new mum and dad, Elaine and James, in 2011. While staying with Elaine and James, David was diagnosed with attachment difficulties and autism. With his … Continued
Lewis recently joined our Befriending Young Refugees service in Glasgow as a volunteer befriender. Here he shares his experience of becoming a befriender and why he wished to help young people arriving in Glasgow without their families. “I wanted to become a befriender with Aberlour as I was aware of the challenges refugees face in … Continued
At the beginning of 2019, Mary was considering voluntary work when she came across an advert looking for volunteer befrienders in her local area. “I had thought about doing voluntary work. I thought, maybe I should do something – something that would be a bit different for me, but I hadn’t done anything about it. … Continued
Ross is a volunteer mentor with Aberlour Attain – Renfrewshire and currently supports a young person within his local area. Find out why Ross wished to become a mentor and about the process he completed to become one. Ross’ Volunteer Mentoring Story My name is Ross. I am from Paisley and I have been a … Continued
