Jen's story:

I want to sing and shout about how brilliant Befriend a Child are, so I am taking on their Firewalk Challenge….whyyyyyyy?!?!! Here’s why I want to do it.

I became part of the Befriend a Child team last June and I love my job. It’s so smug to hear someone say that and possibly annoying too but when I tell you why I love it, you might understand my reasons and why I am willing to walk across hot coals for them.

It’s not every day you stop in your tracks and take a moment to yourself. But there have been times when I have had to do just that. It’s nothing to do with my actual job, but it’s the reason why my role exists. Reading a case study about a child whose life has been turned upside down through no fault of their own, their struggles, the chaos at home and the negativity that surrounds each case is truly heart-breaking. They are only children.

I have met some of the children Befriend a Child support and each one has a story to tell. Not a story about what they did at school or something silly a friend has recently said to them. Not at all. These kids live a life the majority of us couldn’t comprehend in our every day lives.

I chatted to one little girl who was a year younger than my daughter. We had a little blether about her pretty pink shoes, Barbie dolls and how she was enjoying primary 1. Nothing mentioned about what she goes through on a day-to-day basis at home but her daily challenges are far beyond my bad hair days and what I am cooking for tea tonight.

Befriend a Child support some of the most vulnerable school aged children in Aberdeen who deal with very tough situations in their young lives, including parental substance or alcohol use; mental health issues; bereavement and illness; abuse, neglect and poverty. Some of them have taken on a young carer’s role within their family, while some live in kinship care.

A lot of these young people have issues around self-esteem, self-worth, social isolation, health and wellbeing. They are at risk of failing to achieve their potential, of school exclusion, bullying and stigma, unhappiness and loneliness.

Here at Befriend a Child, we want every child to have a happy and fun childhood. The young people who are referred to us via social work, education or health services are matched with a befriender who becomes their trusted and safe adult friend. Someone who they can talk to, go out and have fun with, rely on and forget about their troubles at home. Our befrienders are local volunteers who are sourced, trained and supported by us. I have met a lot of them, and to me what they do is amazing with a capital A! They give a child a chance to be a child, build up confidence, enhance social skills, encourage them to try and develop new activities like learning to swim, playing football in the park, ice skating, horse riding, cooking and baking in the Befriend a Child’s HQ kitchen, enjoying a wander or a paddle at the beach, going out for food and simply learning how to read a menu, to bouncing about at Jump-in…the list is endless! We want each child to tell stories about their fun weekend on Monday morning at school, just like their peers. We don’t want them to listen to other kids telling their fun filled stories but to join in and be a part of these conversations.

Every befriender I have met love what they do, not only because they get to be a child too (!) but they know they are making a huge difference and as time goes on, they can see how much their friendship means to the child.

With funding, Befriend a Child can continue to do what they do best, “turn a frown, upside down”, which is why I am raising money for the children and young people, to help add value to their weekends, give them something to look forward to and to have a happy story to chat about! I’ve worked for Befriend a Child for over 8 months now and I know how vital funding is, how hard the team work to make sure that every child is given the best support we can possibly give them and ultimately improve their quality of life.

I hope you can help me raise some fun funds for local children, £10 can support a local child with the opportunity to create childhood memories and love life like a child should.

I’m walking across hot coals to raise money for Befriend A Child - something I thought I’d never say I’d do!

Wish me luck, tell me it’ll be ok and I won't burn my feet!

Thank you for reading my story.

Jen.