Changing young lives

Encouraging a young child to give something a go, being there to listen to them, spend time with them and mentoring them is truly special and it happens every week through our Family Works Buddy programme.

Volunteer adult Buddies spend a couple of hours each week or fortnight with a child aged between 5 - 12, hanging out together, sharing everyday low-cost activities and generally having fun.

All this is supported by our Buddy Coordinators – Christine, Jo, Sam, Steph, Kirsty, Pippa and Lexy – who work tirelessly to have a programme that not only meets the needs of the children, but also their adult Buddies.

Changing a young life is something special and for it to be successful, the Buddy programme relies on the adult Buddies to be well supported, receive suitable training and have regular contact with the coordinators and each other.

Coordinators organise special outings during the year, sometimes receiving free tickets for events! They run group training sessions and will bring Buddies together so they can get to know each other, share experiences and learn from each other.

Matching an adult with a young person is also key to the success of the programme. Finding out what hobbies and interests each person has makes it easier to have a successful match and both the adult Buddy and the child are likely to form a strong and positive relationship.

Find out more about the Buddy programme, or becoming an adult Buddy.

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