Interacting with young people we support through an interest you have in common. Befrienders are Virtual Volunteers who connect and interact with the young people we support through a skill interest or hobby that they have in common. Befrienders provide support in a casual way that gives young people a sense of inclusion, routine, and engagement. Basic social elements that young people often deny themselves when experiencing mental health challenges. Whether you have an artistic talent that you want to share or have industry experience that young people might find helpful, it is all about finding what our young people are looking for. The Befriending Programme was born from the work of our Virtual Volunteers during lockdown, so all Befriending sessions will be virtual. A contract detailing the logistics of the session will be drawn up between you and your supervisor, and online training is provided.

Interacting with young people we support through an interest you have in common. Befrienders are Virtual Volunteers who connect and interact with the young people we support through a skill interest or hobby that they have in common. Befrienders provide support in a casual way that gives young people a sense of inclusion, routine, and engagement. Basic social elements that young people often deny themselves when experiencing mental health challenges. Whether you have an artistic talent that you want to share or have industry experience that young people might find helpful, it is all about finding what our young people are looking for. The Befriending Programme was born from the work of our Virtual Volunteers during lockdown, so all Befriending sessions will be virtual. A contract detailing the logistics of the session will be drawn up between you and your supervisor, and online training is provided.

Give the gift of your time and become a volunteer mentor for young people. It could be life changing for you both! Would you like to support a young person on their journey to gaining new skills and experience, becoming more self-confident and achieving their goals? If the answer is yes, we would love to hear from you. Why mentoring? Mentoring is at the heart of what we do here at ProjectScotland and we offer every young person we support, the opportunity to be matched with a volunteer mentor. We are searching for people in and around Aberdeen who are able to offer one hour of their time once a week or fortnight for up to 12 months to help transform the life of someone else. The young people we work with all face different challenges in their lives such as; mental ill health, long term unemployment, low confidence and self esteem, care experienced, limited English communication skills due to being new to this country or disabilities. As a volunteer mentor, you could support your mentee with whatever is important to them. This could be: goal setting; identifying interests and strengths; confidence building; helping to establish a routine; support to explore job, training and further education opportunities; social connections; or just someone consistent to talk to and check in with to see how they are. The support you can offer is invaluable and can be life changing. How does it work? • Following recruitment, we provide training, support to join the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme, ongoing support, access to lots of resources and a wonderful community of mentors across the country to connect with, learn from and build friendships with. • you are matched to one young person and meet with them once a week or fortnight for around one hour • meetings can be face to face or virtual using email/telephone/video chat/WhatsApp. There is also an opportunity to do a mixture of the two which offers a flexible and accessible approach to this volunteering role in addition to the match itself. •matches can last from 3-12 months depending upon the relationship and the needs of the mentee What’s in it for you? • Help transform your mentee’s life • Develop communication and interpersonal skills e.g. coaching, motivating others, adaptability • Gain transferable skills and experience volunteering with disadvantaged people • Participate in regular support and training • Meet new people, connect and have fun! • Learn about yourself and gain a sense of achievement supporting others • Learn more about your community and the challenges that people can face If you are interested in this opportunity please email: asia.wieloch@volunteeringmatters.org.uk We would love to hear from you! More info about ProjectScotland: ProjectScotland (now part of the Volunteering Matters Family of Brands) works with people (predominantly young people) across the country who are struggling to overcome challenges such as social isolation, mental health issues, low confidence and general uncertainty about their futures. By providing wrap around support and the chance to complete a voluntary placement with a local charity; not only can this enhance confidence and self-belief, but it gives that individual the opportunity to build on their skills and experience and potentially move on to a job, further education or training. Everyone we work with is also offered a volunteer mentor.

Space at Youth Befriending provides one-to-one befriending for children and young people aged 5-16 though supporting them to learn new skills and provide a social experience for children and young people who are experiencing difficulties in their lives due to parental drug and alcohol use. Through the befriending relationship the child / young person and the befriender may touch on topics such as increasing self-esteem; dealing with worries; respect for others.