Could you spare just a few hours a week to help a child in need in Leamington or Warwick?  We desperately need your help

They may be coping with bereavement, they may be a young carer for a parent or a disabled sibling, or they may just lack self-esteem and need someone to be there for them.

Recently, the charity has received a higher than average number of referrals for children in South Warwickshire who need help. The project is struggling to match all the children on their books with a suitable volunteer. The volunteers, who we call ‘Older Friends’ come from all walks of life, from graduates to those in retirement, and you don’t need any specific qualification to apply, just a genuine desire to help. All we ask is that you are over 18, are prepared to undergo an enhanced DBS (at our expense) and can commit to the project for at least 6 months. You will ideally have a car, as the work will involve collecting the child from their house to take them on their weekly outing.

This case study highlights what it is like for a volunteer and the young people involved. Couple, Lisa and John joined the Friendship Project in 2022. Here is their story so far.

“We both decided to become Older Friends nearly two years ago, after finding out about a set of excitable, energetic and inquisitive twins that needed a couple to match with! The timing couldn’t have been better. For us, meeting up with the twins each week gives us purpose, and it creates space in our busy diaries for us to have fun! With chaotic working lives, being able to spend time with the twins with the sole focus of having a great time is like a breath of fresh air for us. Seeing the world through their eyes challenges us and makes us laugh, and the question of “aren’t you doing this with us too?” has meant we’ve found ourselves doing loads of things we didn’t expect - like climbing trees, trying Churros, and running around and playing hide and seek in an empty cinema!

We like to think we’ve given them some new experiences too - as they’ve loved playing Uno and making pizzas at our house! We couldn’t believe how amazing they both were at rock climbing, and their swimming abilities have improved loads too.

It’s been really rewarding to see them grow in confidence and hearing them speak their minds about things. We can’t believe how shy they were when we first met them! It’s been great to receive feedback that the Friendship Project has been having a positive impact on them, as it’s also had a positive impact on us too.

We’re really thankful to the Friendship Project staff for checking in with us all regularly and giving us new ideas. We tend to find that balancing exciting things with trips to the park keeps our friendships moving forwards, and we’re looking forward to having more adventures as it starts to get lighter again.”

Friendship Project feedback has been that Mum says, ‘’I have a brilliant relationship with Lisa and John – they are so caring and supportive. The friendship has made a huge difference to the family.”

The children say, “My Older Friend is caring and understands me. They are very kind and keep us safe.”

If you can spare 2/3 hours a week to volunteer, be able to make a regular monthly donation, or talk to us about corporate involvement. Please do get in touch, www.friendshipproject.co.uk or call Karen Hoy 07516 527714.