Family Friends
Family Friends is a charity that supports families and young people living in Central West London through volunteer befriending services.
Description
Parent Befrienders provide support to parents who are often facing multiple hardships. Our volunteers befriend a parent, to improve their self-confidence, emotional health, and wellbeing, reducing their social isolation and promoting their independence. With encouragement and support, volunteers will aim to help parents discover their strengths, build confidence, and resolve difficulties.
Activities might include
- supporting a parent to take their children on days out
- Helping to strengthen family relationships
- Providing a listening ear
- Helping parents to build confidence in themselves
Duties
Volunteer Responsibilities:
- To visit a parent with whom you have been matched, building a relationship of friendship and trust
- Complete a feedback form after each visit and to participate in regular supervision with your Coordinator
- To uphold organisation name core principles, vision, culture and values and abide by Family Friends policies and procedures
Who will the volunteers be working with?
Volunteers will be supported by a Volunteer Coordinator throughout their volunteering journey. They will befriend a family who have requested volunteer support and have expressed the desire to make positive changes in their lives. Each of our families needs are unique but many face issues such as poverty, inadequate housing, poor health, social isolation, depression or challenges around asylum seeker/new immigrant status. These families are based in three Central West London boroughs: Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham and Brent.
Training
Family Friends offer two full days of interactive face-to-face training along with some e-learning and and virtual workshops in order to prepare you for the role. We also provide regular contact, periodic supervision, monthly volunteer support group meetings and on-going training and support.
We run training approximately 5 times annual, please get in touch to find out when the next induction session is taking place.
Hours are flexible depending on the family’s needs, but an average of 2-3 hours per week or fortnight for 6-12 months.
