Volunteering
Befrienders Highland only has a small core team of staff for both its Face to Face and Distance Befriending services yet we are able to offer a valuable and effective service to people with mental ill health anywhere in the Highlands. We are only able to provide such a service due to the commitment and efforts of our small army of excellent volunteers, without whom we would cease to function.
We are very fortunate to have volunteers of all ages (18 to 80's) who give from 10 minutes a week to a couple of hours. They come from all walks of life, different professions and areas and all are, without question, exceptional.
Click on each heading below to jump to the information, or simply scroll down the page to read the information as you go.
Our Volunteers' Journey
Support and Supervision
What Rewards can our volunteers expect?
Does Befriending really make a difference?
Our Volunteers' Journey (back to headings)
- On initial enquiry we will send you an information pack.
- You will then complete a Disclosure Scotland application with us (or a with a development officer from Volunteering Highland in your local office) and we will take up 2 references.
- Next step is to meet with a Face to Face Co-ordinator or speak on the phone with a Distance Befriending co-ordinator (whichever is your preference for befriending. We need to find out about you, your interests, life experiences, family and more. We want to get to know you.
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You can then begin your training – a programme of six learning packs done at home with a tutorial on completion of each one. For Face to Face volunteering you will come into the office for your tutorials (Inverness or Nairn). For Distance volunteering you can either have your tutorial by phone or in person as best suits you.
The aim of the training programme is to:- Clarify the befriending role and establish what a volunteers' responsibilities are
- Provide an understanding of a variety of issues relevant to mental health, including communication; listening; support; guidance and the processes for discussing concerns
- Enable volunteers to gain in confidence as a new befriender and understand the levels of support available to them as valued members of the team at Befrienders Highland.
- On completion of your training you will receive a certificate and sign an Agreement with us which clarifies your role and responsibilities as a Befriender.
- We will then carefully match you with a suitable Friend, someone who we feel you will be comfortable with and have lots in common to enable a friendship to develop.
- There is a trial period of 4 contacts where you will meet or speak with your co-ordinator after each to make sure all is going well and you have no questions.
- You will then make arrangements for regular contact with your friend on a weekly (usually) basis.
Support and Supervision (back to headings)
We offer regular support and monthly on-going supervision to ensure you are happy and the friendship is working well. It is important to us that our volunteers' experience of befriending is positive and allows each person to feel valued and supported. Your co-ordinator is always available outside of normal contact should you require. We will also carry out 6 monthly and annual reviews with both you and your friend.
All of our volunteers are offered optional on-going training opportunities and peer support meetings at different times though the year and we are always happy to arrange specific training programmes on request.
For Distance volunteers we also offer optional volunteer led conference calls as part of the peer support programme.
We issue our Wee Blether newsletter 3-4 times a year as well as invitations to social or other events. All of this helps to ensure our volunteers really are included as a valued part of the team at Befrienders and gain as much as possible from the experience of working with us.
What Rewards can our volunteers expect? (back to headings)
- Regular training and on-going development
- Regular supervision and plenty of support
- Expenses paid
- Regular opportunity to participate in optional peer support activities and training
- The satisfaction of knowing you are doing something invaluable with a little of your spare time
- Knowing you are helping improve another person's mental health
- Knowing you are part of a growing and successful organisation
- Knowing that your contribution is highly valued
- Develop your people and communication skills and confidence
- Improve your CV and career opportunities
- Enjoy meeting new people and developing meaningful friendships
Does Befriending really make a difference? (back to headings)
Our validated research, carried out for us by the University Of Stirling, clearly proves that regular befriending contact, both by Face to Face and Distance befriending contact makes real and positive differences to people's lives and helps to:
- reduce feelings of isolation or loneliness
- gives something to look forward to
- increases feelings of self-worth, trust and confidence in others
- provides opportunities for new interests and involvement
- increases a person's confidence to widen their social networks
