I am 39 years old and a mother of two from the West Midlands. I enjoy visiting new places and trying new things and spending time with family and friends.
I started volunteering as an Independent Visitor 6 years ago. My children were older and more independent, and I wanted to do something important with my newly found spare time. I knew I wanted to volunteer and started searching online for something that I thought I would be good at and came across the Independent Visitor position for Change Grow Live. This was perfect as you can plan visits to suit you and your young person that won’t affect your job or your time with your family.
Our visits range from just going for a walk and talk to trying to ice skate and dance without falling over! Sometimes it’s trying to build confidence in different environments, sometimes it’s talking the tough things through or just listening. Other times it’s just doing something fun and having time that’s just about them. It’s whatever they need at the time.
My young person knows I’m there because I want to be. Sometimes their whole world can change, and they look forward to seeing a familiar face. It can also be easier to talk and be around someone who isn’t a part of your everyday life. All these things can be a relief for a young person in care and shows them that there is support for them.
I’ve met some really great young people that I enjoy spending time with and it’s really rewarding knowing that I might have helped them in some small way. It is a really good feeling seeing things like their confidence growing enough to order their own food, ask someone a question and make their own decisions.