The individuals we support tell us that Having a Mentor/ Befriender had been beneficial to their engagement, confidence, health and well-being and many other areas…
“My volunteer mentor helped me rediscover the fire inside myself again.”
“On a scale of 1-10, I enjoyed the session 15!”
Our Mentoring and Befriending service connects an autistic person with a volunteer. Together they identify goals and area to focus on and work towards those as part of the support.
Our community tells us that the social experiences and interaction of many autistic people is limited to their immediate family and educational settings. Having a volunteer offers an opportunity to build a relationship with someone who understands autism and is outside of these environments. A volunteer mentors will aim to help engage with the community, going on local outings where possible, developing social networks and creating a positive relationship.
Common areas individuals chose to focus the support includes, though is not limited to: trying new hobbies and having fun, writing CVs and applying for paid and unpaid roles, develop personal and lisle skills such as travel training and healthy eating habits, planning and executing transitions and build confidence and self-esteem and many others.
All our volunteers are autism trained and receive on-going support and supervision.
Some practical information:
This service is offered in London and West Midlands to autistic young people and adults up to 30 years old, with much of our service in North London, West London and Birmingham.
Befriending and mentoring takes place at the person’s home and in their local community. When appropriate for the individual we can offer online video call and phone support.
Meets are on a regular (weekly/fortnightly) basis for up to 6 months.
The service is free
There is a waiting list to access this service.
For more information, please contact us on 020 8458 3259.
If you would like to access this service, please fill in the referral form and someone from the team will be in touch.
