Digory volunteers with the Youth Befriending Project of Volunteer Centre East Lothian. Since he started volunteering he has supported 3 young people. He meets up with the young person either every week or every second week.
My job is pretty boring – and most of the time I’m sitting still on a computer. Being a befriender allows me to use a whole different part of my brain, gets me more active, and gives some sense of purpose which I don’t get from work.
I’ve been to loads of places with the Youth Befriending – Edinburgh Zoo, Deep Sea World, the cinema, skate parks, walks in nature, the beach, East Links Family Park, a lot of things…
It’s a real privilege to be involved, and to be able to be there for a young person who needs that support. Personally, after each session, I just feel happy that I made their day/week a bit brighter. Sometimes I feel sad. Scotland is a pretty rich country, but there is such a disparity between the lives that our kids lead. For many of them life is unfair right from the beginning.
You’re also given a lot of support – and able to discuss any concerns or worries you have with the volunteer coordinator. But the main thing is, you can physically see the positive impact you are making on a child/young person’s life. It’s hard to describe how meaningful it feels until you actually do it.
