“Seeing Jack over the years standing on his doorstep, eagerly waiting for me and excited about our trip, has genuinely moved me and has driven me to keep the relationship going.”

Volunteer Befriender Garry, who works as a Solicitor, joined Befriend a Child as part of the Befriending programme in January 2015. Garry first heard about Befriend a Child and the work that we do through a former colleague who was a Befriender at the time.

“My former colleague explained to me that it was something he really enjoyed doing and that it was clear he was making a difference to the life of a child in the local area. On hearing this, I knew it was something I wanted to get involved in.”

Garry got in touch with Befriend a Child and after an informal chat and a formal interview, he enrolled in the volunteer training sessions. The training provides information and advice on how to get the most out of your Befriending relationship whilst also going into depth about important topics, including child protection.

“The training provided me with the requisite knowledge to feel confident in starting to befriend.  It was clear that a lot of time was spent by my Befriending Support Worker to ensure that I was matched with a suitable befriendee, Jack.”

Jack, was referred to Befriend a Child when he was 9 years old as he had low confidence and self-esteem and was quite socially isolated.

Garry has been befriending Jack for 5 years. In this time, they have enjoyed a number of fun activities together in Aberdeen and Shire, which have helped Jack strengthen his social skills and experience new things.

“We have visited museums, an aquarium, the cinema, restaurants, Codonas, an ice hockey match etc and have undertaken activities such as archery, bowling, ice skating, breakout games, paintballing, horse riding and many others.”

Jack’s family have praised his relationship with Garry and Befriend a Child for helping Jack come out of his shell.

“Without Befriend a Child, Jack may have struggled to find positive experiences to assist his social development. Jack’s family has demonstrated their gratitude for everything that befriending has done for him.”

“I have gained a lot from befriending.  It has helped me see the world in a different and more altruistic way and it has diversified my own intrapersonal skills.  I have also had the opportunity to get involved in activities (such as archery and paintballing) that I might otherwise not have done.”

“I would recommend that anyone thinking about it just take that first courageous step to commit to befriending, immerse themselves in the experience and they will soon see how rewarding the experience is for them and the child they support.  Seeing Jack over the years standing on his doorstep, eagerly waiting for me and excited about our trip, has genuinely moved me and has driven me to keep the relationship going.”

If you have been inspired by Garry and Jack’s story, find out more about joining us as a volunteer here: