Thanking our Befrienders during BefriendingWeek 2022

Here at Govan HELP, we are celebrating Befriending Week from 1-7 of November.

We hope you’ll join us in saying a big thank you to all our Volunteer Befrienders, past and present, for their commitment and dedication to befriending at Govan HELP.

To our Befrienders — you are amazing and we could not deliver our Befriending Service without you!

Below, you can read a testimonial from one of our Volunteer Befrienders about their befriending experience.

“I started befriending in May 2022 and have enjoyed every minute! O and I have managed to do a host of activities, including learning digital photography and film photography using chemicals in a darkroom — which was a particular highlight! We’ve also been bowling, attended the Science Centre, art museums with workshops, and Purrrple Cat Cafe where we met the many rescue cats that live there.

During these activities, we have become much more comfortable with each other, and I have noticed a huge increase in confidence from O — her increased curiosity, as well as opening up about issues at home and school. I feel that the sessions have allowed that trust to build.

I have also personally benefited from this experience, as I am hoping to study to become a Primary Teacher in the near future. This has given me the experience of working one-on-one with children, as well as giving me the opportunity to volunteer in a real classroom setting. I have also signed up to free courses with the Skills Network generously offered via Govan HELP and have just completed a First Aid for Children workshop.

I feel confident to reapply for teaching with all this new experience under my belt — thanks to Govan Help!”

You can learn more about our Children’s Befrieding Service here.