What made you decide to volunteer as a befriended!?
I decided to become a volunteer after attending a charity night for Mencap Liverpool  in 2015. I was so inspired by the work the Mencap Liverpool do to support people with a learning disability whether that be through social inclusion, supporting them to make new friends, teaching them new skills and more importantly valuing them as a member of society. I wanted to use my work/life experience and skills in a meaningful way to volunteer, so when I found the opportunity with Mencap Liverpool to volunteer as a befriended I knew it was the right decision for me. There is no doubt I find great satisfaction in sharing and encouraging Joanne but I was more surprised in how enlightening and filling this whole experience has been and how much she has taught me about life.

What do you enjoy about befriending?

I love the great feeling befriending brings – knowing that I am making a small difference to someone else’s life fills me with great joy and its very rewarding.

I enjoy helping people and sharing my time with others.

I enjoy meeting different people from different backgrounds/cultures.

I enjoy having fun with Joanne.

I enjoy given something back to society.

I enjoy spending time with Joanne and learning new skills from her.

What type of things do you do together?
Jo and I have very similar interest but the one thing we do well together is laugh!
We like to go walking and recently we went on a bike ride which was great fun and a new experience for Joanne. We both like food, so we make sure that when we meet we finish our time together at a cafe and have found the perfect cafe that suits us both. We recently had lunch in a Chinese Restaurant to celebrate Joanne’s birthday and have plans try new a new restaurant on Hanover Street called ‘Turtle Bay’

Befriending is about making a friend – what do you like about Joanne?
Joanne has a great personality and a wonderful sense of humour which I love. She is always willing to try new things, even if it is a “diet coke’. She is always genuinely pleased to see me and we have a great time together and its fun being with her!

If some one was interested in becoming a befriender, what advice would you give to them?

If you’ve got the time then do it – its great fun, very rewarding and a great way to get involved in a charity or organisation that you are passionate about.

If you would like to become a befriender please email volunteering@mencapliverpool.org.uk