About bfriends

What is bfriends?

bfriends has over 20 years experience in providing befriending services to children and young people. Adult volunteers befriend children and young people on a one-to-one basis, with the support of a full-time project development worker. The volunteer aims to help build the young person's self-confidence and self-esteem, and to open up opportunities for personal and social development. All the bfriends services use a child-centred and anti-discriminatory approach.

What does bfriends do?

bfriends provides support and friendship to children and young people aged 5-16 who are experiencing difficulties at home, school or in the community. We can offer the young person a befriending service for a period of 6 months to 2 years (occasionally longer), which includes:

• One-to-one visits on a weekly basis from an adult volunteer who has been selected, screened and trained.
   

• Access to a well-equipped resource base where young people and volunteers can play, talk, and enjoy a wide variety of activities together.
   

• Regular one-to-one outings designed around the young person's needs and interests.
   

• Social and recreational group outings and activities for the young person and their volunteer.
   

• Ongoing support for the matching from a full-time project development worker, who liaises with the parent/carer, referrer,
  and other relevant agencies to ensure that the young person's needs are being met.

Why is bfriends important?

bfriends volunteers develop supportive one-to-one relationships with some of the most isolated and vulnerable young people in Edinburgh and Midlothian, giving them access to positive experiences and opportunities that many young people take for granted.

The young person and their volunteer decide together what they will do each week. Each service has a resource base where volunteers and young people can meet to play games, cook, do arts and crafts, read or listen to music. We also encourage them to access opportunities in the community and to take part in organised group activities.

bfriends is one of the first services in Scotland to achieve the approved provider standards for mentoring and befriending. This means that we are nationally recognised for our safe and effective practice in providing befriending services to children and young people.