Who can become a mentor or befriender?

Mentors and befrienders are mainly volunteers who come from the local community and are of any age, from diverse backgrounds and with a variety of life experiences. Sometimes, those who have worked with a mentor or befriender and have experienced the benefits for themselves are inspired to become a volunteer mentor or befriender themselves. It is important to have a broad mix of mentors and befrienders to enable the best possible match with mentees and befriendees. The volunteer mentor and befriender role will vary from project to project but will tend to include some of the following elements:

• The building of a supportive and trusting relationship which involves getting to know each other.
• Listening to your mentee/befriendee and discussing anything that is worrying them.
• Clarifying what your mentee/befriendee wants to gain/achieve/change in their life.
• Planning with them the steps needed to reach their goals.
• Encouraging your mentee/befriendee to think and talk about their hopes for the future.
• Talking about any relevant experiences and problems they have overcome.
• Discussing and reviewing progress with your mentee/befriendee on a regular basis.

Although a mentor or befriender may do some or all of the above, they are not a substitute teacher, parent, social worker or counsellor. However, our volunteer mentors and befrienders work very effectively alongside professionals as part of an integrated package of support for individuals.