What People Say
Here you can read some case studies that show how our volunteers have helped. Names have been changed to protect privacy.
Examples of the Volunteer Service
Jane was referred to the Volunteer Service by one of our Family Support Workers. Jane was struggling to manage her children, had recently separated from her partner and was feeling very lonely. Whilst the Family Support Worker supported her with improving her parenting skills to help her manage her children’s behaviour, the volunteer helped Jane to address her loneliness and low self-esteem. The volunteer visited Jane each week and they went out in the town to look at local support groups and drop-in groups. They explored volunteering opportunities and looked at getting back into work skills. Jane started attending a regular drop-in, an adult education course and feels more confident to continue looking into these things herself.
Sarah contacted us after the birth of her first child. Sarah suffered with post-natal illness, and although she was over the worst of this when she contacted us, she was feeling lonely and exhausted from the baby. New to the area, she also didn’t yet have the friends and support that she would have liked. Our volunteer visited each week to help look after the baby. This gave Sarah a chance to catch up with things, rest and to enjoy having someone else around. As the weeks progressed, Sarah gradually became more confident, began making friends and getting involved locally with other parents. At the end of the support Sarah no longer needed our involvement but feels confident knowing that she can contact us if she ever needs to.
Linda got in touch with Family Friends after she realised that she was finding it difficult to make fun, family time a priority over the busyness of life. Being a single mother with three children meant that time playing with the children was difficult to prioritise. Our volunteer visited every week to help the family set aside a couple of hours of time together; they went to the park, played games and made cakes. The family is now trying to keep up the pattern of one evening a week doing something fun.
Examples of what volunteers say about being part of Family Friends
“I've been volunteering for over a year now and its great to feel you are making a difference - The Family Friends team is always there to help if you feel worried or want to talk something over. I've also attended a few of the additional training courses and they've been really well run and beneficial.” Marg, Volunteer
“I find volunteering very special, as it is so different to my day job in senior management at a big global company. It is more real and over the nine years I have been a volunteer I have met many lovely families. I get as much back from seeing a family helped as I hope they do. For me volunteering is important as I am giving my time, but I am also enriched by the families and children I work with. You need to treat everyone as an equal, have no prejudices, be totally non judgmental and take people as you find them. You must also not get attached - as one experience finishes another one comes along. No two cases are the same.” Sheila, Volunteer
“I started volunteering for Family Friends because as my children got older I found I had more time and I feel passionately that families and family life is of the utmost importance for everyone. However, it is not always easy for many different reasons, as I have also personally found myself, and sometimes a little support can be invaluable. I have worked with some admirable families, both mothers and fathers, since volunteering and I have enjoyed meeting and getting to know them and their children. I have always felt very supported by the professional Family Friends team as well as enjoying and gaining knowledge through the volunteer meetings and training sessions that are held for us.” Ruth, Volunteer
“I got involved with Family Friends because I wanted to support my local community and learn new skills. I have found Family Friends personally rewarding as we all need help and support from time to time; it takes courage to ask for help and it is a pleasure to be part of a team which helps those people. It only takes a few hours of my time so it is easy to fit around my own life and commitments. The staff are very supportive and are always there to answer any questions you may have and give advice. The training evenings are fun, informative and allow you to get to know fellow volunteers. I would recommend anyone to do volunteer work with Family Friends as it is a rewarding, fun experience which can also be challenging as you are dealing with individual families with their own individual needs. The experiences and skills that I have acquired have given me a greater understanding of the local community and the diversity of people which make up the community.” Caroline, Volunteer
Comments from families our volunteers have supported
“The volunteer was very friendly and professional. She helped me in lots of ways. Many thanks to her and to Family Friends.”
“You are a SAVIOUR at times of extra need. A big thank you to Pat. A fantastic, lovely lady. She just jumped in and helped so much. Will miss her deeply.”
“(My son) really looked forward to meeting with Sheila and his behaviour and self-esteem increased.”
Examples of the Family Support Worker Service: Courses, one-to-one, one-to-one with children
Mark is a single dad of 4 children (2 boys and 2 girls) who was having a lot of difficulties with his children. There was a lot of arguing and fighting between the children and they were not going to sleep until very late at night. This was then causing problems in the morning as the children were tired and did not want to get ready for school. Mark attended all 12 sessions of our ‘Enjoy Your Children’ course and said that he looked forward to coming each week. He got a great deal of support from other members of the group. At the end of the course Mark said, “it has made such a difference to my life; it is so much easier now I have achieved a lot and learnt a lot. I feel I have nearly reached my goals. I am enjoying my children. The children’s behaviour has improved dramatically. They are much happier and more confident.”
Luke was reluctant to go to school because he had been bullied. He was suffering from low self-esteem and lacking in confidence. Luke had one-to-one support that focused on these difficulties. Some sessions took place at our office and some at Luke’s school. The Family Support Worker also visited Luke’s parents to help them to support him through this difficult time and to work with the school. Luke is now attending school full time and feels that the support helped him to be more confident.
Debbie was struggling with her children’s behaviour and was referred for support with her parenting. She felt that her relationship with her 8-year-old daughter was particularly difficult and she easily became angry with her. Debbie wanted to find positive ways of managing her children’s behaviour and so she met weekly with a Family Support Worker at our office. She was able to talk through issues about the children’s behaviour and discuss strategies for dealing more effectively with this. Debbie felt that her parenting skills and relationship with her children improved. She commented on her evaluation form, “As a family unit we’ve come on in leaps. I honestly feel that without Family Friends I couldn’t have come this far so quickly…without this support I would not have the good relationship I have with my children as I do now.”
Adrian and Marie were having difficulties managing the behaviour of their 8- year-old daughter who had suffered from a serious illness in her younger years. Adrian and Marie attended our ‘Enjoy Your Children’ course as a couple. They commented on their evaluation form at the end of the course, ‘when both parents attend it’s a lot easier to implement change’. They felt strongly that by attending together they were more able to be consistent with their children and supportive of one another. In addition to this, a Family Support Worker visited their daughter weekly at school to explore her parents’ concerns regarding her self-esteem and her anxieties related to the ill health she had suffered.
Caitlin’s mother, Sue, contacted us when her relationship with an occasionally violent partner ended. Sue was concerned that Caitlin was unhappy and anxious as a result of witnessing her mother being mistreated. Caitlin also had very irregular contact with her father which Sue felt Caitlin found confusing. Sue recognised that Caitlin might have not felt able to discuss her feelings with the family and so requested some support from a Family Support Worker. Caitlin visited our office once a week after school. During her sessions, Caitlin had the opportunity to explore her feelings about her father and her mother’s ex-partner. She was provided with a disposable camera and was able to take photos of people she cared about. This contributed to a family scrapbook she produced. By the time the support ended, Sue commented on her evaluation form, “Both at home and at school her confidence has grown . . . thank you for all your support, it has been invaluable”.
Amir and Lila had moved to England from Iran with their two sons. Their eldest son was experiencing difficulties settling into his new life and school and as a result, his behaviour at home had deteriorated. A Family Support Worker visited the couple in their home to help them develop strategies to manage their son’s behaviour and to feel more able to support both children through their transitions. With regular support, relationships between parents and children improved. Amir commented on his evaluation form, “We really appreciated your time and information. For the first time we felt we were understood and got some practical information on dealing with our children”.
