A WINCHESTER charity is urgently recruiting more volunteers to continue supporting children and families facing adversity.
Friends of the Family (FotF) has provided adult befrienders to more than 150 children over the past 30 years but now the charity is in desperate need of more volunteers to sign up for its next training sessions.
Experienced befriender Sarah Cootes said: “Every two hours you spend with a child is teaching them that they matter, that they have the undivided attention of an adult. This makes that child blossom inside.”
Volunteer Jane Lamprey said: “I get as much out of it as they do. It’s a privilege to get the opportunity to see them change and grow.”
One mother who used the service said having a befriender for her family and her eldest son with undiagnosed autism was “life changing”.
The mother, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “Finally, someone was listening, and I no longer felt judged. I felt heard and became more confident in my parenting as a result.
“I don’t know where we’d be without Friends of the Family.”
She has gone on to run parenting courses for Barnardo’s and now works with the school PTA to support other parents.
The charity provides full training for volunteers so no experience is needed.
SEE ALSO: Street Pastors commend security woman for driving man to hospital
Sam Hunt, service leader, said: “Our volunteers come from all walks of life, all we need is their commitment and their time. The gift of time has the power to increase a child's confidence, help them overcome challenges they face and provide them with friendship when they need it most.”
The next training sessions will be held on Wednesday, November 1 and Saturday, November 4.
Friends of the Family is urging anyone who is interested to contact them as soon as possible at volunteer@fotfwinchester.org.
The charity believes “the gift of just two hours a week by a trained volunteer has the power to transform the life of a child”.
As well as its befriending service for children aged five to 13, the service provides counselling, support groups for mums and young children and one-to-one sessions for dads.
For more information go to fotfwinchester.org.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here