One to One Peer Support - Mum Befriender

All of our volunteers are mum's themselves and are fully trained to be able to provide one-to-one peer and emotional support to reduce isolation, normalise feelings and help you identify your own strengths and build on these. Our volunteers understand the challenges that pregnancy, birth and the early years can bring. They are a non -judgemental person you can talk to in confidence about how you feel and your situation.

Some of the ways a mum befriender may support you include:

• Meeting with you regularly at home and in your community to provide emotional support. This can help you in many ways including helping you be more emotionaly available for your baby and other family.

• They can help you identify your strengths and goals and support you to build on these.

• They can support you to get out of the house to access activities, groups and services.

• They can listen confidentially to you about how you are feeling and support you to look at difficulties you might be facing.

• They can help you look at practical difficulties you might be facing and support you to find solutions to these including signposting to other services and organisations where appropriate.

Having someone there who didn't judge, who gave me time, who really listened and understood where I was coming from made the world of difference for me. She didn't tell me how to do things, instead she encouraged me to find my own way and supported me every step of the way (Natasha)