Friends Together - befriending project
Rotarian Mike Tomkinson is a Community Mental Health Worker with the national charity "Together" which is the oldest mental health charity in the country.
Mike is also the Convenor of the Community Service Committee of the Rotary Club of Rochdale and has identified an area of service where we can make a real difference to the lives of a few members of the community
Mike and his colleagues at “Together” are training and vetting some of the members of our Rotary Club and other volunteers so that they are qualified to befriend people with mental health problems who otherwise feel isolated and lonely.
Qualified Participants will commit themselves to befriend a client for about an hour once every two weeks. Not an onerous commitment but valuable support to help the recovery of someone who is struggling to make meaningful contact with friends in the community and who needs to increase their feelings of confidence, self-esteem and well-being.
It is hoped that it can be widened to recruit participants in Rochdale from outside Rotary and that it can be duplicated by other Rotary Clubs across the North West and beyond
Donations to this scheme can be made on www.justgiving.co.uk/friends-together
Please read the updates below to see how the scheme is growing
PROJECT UPDATE -SEPTEMBER 2009
The Befriending scheme is now approaching its first anniversary and has been making good measurable progress in supporting its clients. We have given three Befriender training schemes to eleven Volunteers and feedback from befriended clients has been very encouraging.
Now that Befrienders from the Rotary Club of Rochdale have helped set the scheme up, we at Together are working hard to recruit more Volunteers from the community as there is a considerable demand for this service.
After a great deal of work we have submitted an application for Approved Provider Status to the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation and they are in the process of auditing our work. Achieving this standard will positively validate our procedures and methods of working, giving confidence to all those involved.
On the last weekend in September Rotarians and members of Together staff will be displaying information about the befriending project in the exhibition area at the Rotary Conference in Llandudno. We wish to inform other Rotary clubs about the value of this work in the hope that they will consider setting up a similar project in their own areas in partnership with a local mental health charity. Staff from Together will be able to advise on all aspects of the scheme as well as how to make contact with local partners.
October 2009
We are delighted to announce that the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation has awarded the Approved Provider Standard to the FriendsTogether Befriending project. This National Award recognises the overall quality standard that the project has achieved and particularly the work of the Befrienders. As well as checking the project policies and procedures, the auditors paid particular attention to the feedback from clients about their experiences of befriending.
Together set up a Project stall in Rochdale Centre on Mental Health Day and received applications from 14 members of the public who expressed an interest in befriending. We will present the first training course for these applicants on Saturday 7th November. This represents substantial progress in the development of the project and will help to provide Befrienders for the large number of clients who are anxious to take advantage of this service
For anyone who is interested in further information please contact staff at the Together office:
Julie Radcliffe or Mike Tomkinson. Together working for wellbeing. 219 Bury Road Rochdale OL11 4EE. Tel: 01706 750740. email pm-rochdalecss@together-uk.org