Why become a Family Friend?
- You will make a huge difference to a struggling family.
- You will meet lots of new people.
- You will experience lots of different situations.
- You will be able to use your life skills to help others.
- You will enjoy it!
- You will gain a lot of satisfaction.
- You will be appreciated.
- You will learn.
- You will undertake quality training.
- You will enhance your career prospects as many employers appreciate the importance of volunteering.
Tina's story:
Tina
has been a Family Friend for the past two years. Tina decided to become
a Family Friend after seeing an advertisement in her local newspaper.
Tina undertook the training course with six other volunteers. Tina says
“I found it really enjoyable and gained lots of knowledge about
the different situations families face.”
Tina was introduced to Kim shortly after completing the course and although
she felt apprehensive at first, she felt immediately at ease when she
met Kim. Tina says “I visit Kim once a week and offer a listening
ear. We have become good friends and found that we have a lot in common.”
“I have learned so much and met lots of new people during my time
with Kites. I get a real satisfaction from being able to help others.”
What Family Friends Say:
“I really look forward to visiting my family. I don’t always have the answers for mum, but just being able to listen helps her.”
“Visiting my family is a real pleasure. I have so much fun playing with the kids and helping mum.”
“With
4 children under 5 mum finds it really difficult to get out, so when it’s
fine we all go out to somewhere like the park. We all have a good time
and it really helps all the family.”
“I don’t see the children very often as they are at school,
but I visit once a week to see Mum and Dad. We talk about the issues they
have had in the past week with the children and we discuss how these were
handled and how they could have been handled better. They always thank
me for my time and advice which is lovely.”
“It’s
just a matter of reassuring them that maintaining boundaries is
difficult for all parents and that they are doing a good job."
The Board of Trustees who govern the organisation are also volunteers. They bring various skills to the Board to ensure that the organisation meets its objectives. If you feel you have skills that would enhance the Board we would like to hear from you.
