Our Befriending service aims to support individuals towards recovery through weekly phone calls or meet ups with a trained volunteer. The service is for both individuals affected by an eating disorder, and those who care for them. Befrienders offer one to one support, signposting and a safe space to talk. The sessions take place on a weekly basis for an initial period of eight weeks, at which point the situation is assessed. The support may then continue for up to a year.

We're looking for an adult volunteer who will provide a supportive friendship for a socially isolated young person aged between 8 and 18 who lives in South Ayrshire. Ideally this will involve meeting with their young person every couple of weeks for a few hours, spending time together accessing local activities. This includes: • Be matched on a 1:1 basis with a young person. • Go on regular outings and activities with the young person. • Have the opportunity to participate in group outings/activities and also volunteer support sessions. • Keeping in touch with the Project about the young person’s achievements / growth and activities, and to receive ongoing support from the Bfriend team. • Open minded as we work with young people from a wide variety of backgrounds. • Following training, to be able to have empathy and understanding of some of the issues encountered by young people referred to the team. • Continuous focus on the needs of the young person who you are matched with. • Willing to participate in a broad range of activities mutually agreed with the young person. • To be a positive adult role model for the young person and, very importantly, to have FUN! • Have an awareness of and be able to adhere to Bfriend’s policies and procedures.

Our Befriending service is here to support individuals towards recovery through weekly phone calls with a trained volunteer. Befriending is for anyone affected by any eating disorder and would like support in their recovery. Our service also supports carers', families and friends of anyone struggling with an eating disorder. The aim of Befriending isn't about telling a befriendee what to do - it is a way of encouraging and suppporting to achieve a goal, change a behaviour, and develop or build on existing skills. This isn't a form of clinical therapy and is not intended as a replacement for professional, clinical treatment. Befrienders will meet with their befriendees for one hour a week for the first three months, at which point the situation will be reviewed. The befriender and befriendee will meet for a maximum of 6-8 month.

A great chance to join a friendly team as a Befriender. Are you a Parent? Would you like to help other parents? Can you spare a couple of hours each week? Come and join us! At ParentSpace, we believe parenting is the hardest and most important job in the world and all parents want to do the best possible job we can. We also believe that, just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to raise a parent. That’s where our Parent Befrienders come in. As a Parent Befriender, you will be a crucial part of the village we all need. The role includes: • Meeting with your befriendee(s) at a regular time which suits you both, either at their home or a mutually agreed place, online or by phone. • Offering unconditional, non judgemental support through active listening • Maintaining confidential notes • Attending monthly supervision, usually online • Attending ongoing training We offer a 6 week training package, covering all aspects of the role, such as communication and active listening, confidentiality, parental wellbeing and mental health, looking after our wellbeing as befrienders, boundaries and safeguarding. After this, we ask that you are available for 1-2 hours per week for the minimum of 12 months. Skills/Experience Required To be a ParentSpace Befriender, you need to be: • A parent yourself • Friendly, good at listening and able to offer non judgemental support • Available 1-2 hours per week plus additional time for ongoing training and supervision • Transport is helpful but not essential • Access to Internet to attend online training, supervision and complete notes We welcome parents with lived experience of the many challenges parenting can bring, such as postnatal depression, anxiety, bereavement, parenting children with additional needs… These are examples of some of the difficulties your befriendees may be dealing with and it can help to form a rapport if you have a similar experience. This what one of our current Befrienders says about the role: 'I started my training with Parentspace last autumn and was matched with a parent by December. I honestly wasn't expecting to meet so many lovely people. The training was thoughtful and thorough. The trainers were so encouraging and naturally the other trainees were friendly! I was relieved that I didn't have to have all the answers or be a perfect parent myself; my own struggles have shown me the difference this kind of support can make and they also make it easier to form a connection. The support from my supervisor and the ParentSpace team means I never feel isolated and has helped me build my confidence. Personally, I look forward to the befriending sessions and have had a lot of fun since I joined up.'