‘I already work with children teaching safety and I love doing that. I had never thought about mentoring until hearing more about intandem and Befriend a Child at an RGU volunteering event. Speaking to the team about who Befriend a Child are and what they do really made me want to get involved.’ - Jacqeline, volunteer mentor.

Jacqueline trained with Befriend a Child as an intandem mentor and was matched with 14-year-old Kate in October 2018. Kate was referred to Befriend a Child as she was lacking self-confidence, facing difficulties at home and as a result was not attending school.

Over the last couple of years Jacqueline has enjoyed weekly outings and activities with Kate, working on building her confidence and self-esteem and forging an amazing friendship in the process.

‘Without having a mentor Kate may not have had the confidence to achieve even the smallest of goals, for example, take a bus on her own, ordering meals in a restaurant or have had the confidence to make a return to school,’ – Kate’s mentor, Jac.

Jacqueline would take Kate for lunch and encourage her to order her own meal, taking small steps to build her confidence and they’d regularly talk about goals for the future and find ways to work towards those goals in fun ways.

‘Jac is really funny and hyper. She is good to talk to and really trustworthy and gives good advice,’ – Mentee Kate.

Thanks to Jac’s mentorship and support Kate began to attend school regularly and now Kate is working towards her goal of becoming a make-up artist and is set to start a college course later this year.

‘Kate has come on leaps and bounds since we first met, there is new light in her, a different look and she has more confidence in herself.’ – Kate’s mentor, Jac.

‘Over the last two years I have seen Kate go from a young girl lacking the confidence to attend school, to a young woman ready to take on the world and that’s thanks to the support of her mentor,’ – Aleisha Douglas, intandem Co-ordinator.