Stepping Out

This service provides matched volunteers or 'buddies' who offer assistance to mental health service users to access community activities. These community activities focus on cultural, sporting and health. The service is centred on user-needs, with clear goals and timeframe for assistance and intervention.

Volunteer Opportunities

If you live in Islington or adjacent boroughs, we need you to join our friendly team of volunteer Activity Buddies/Befrienders who play a key role in supporting individuals with mental health difficulties in getting involved in mainstream cultural, sporting or health-related activities.

Training and support are good, and travel and activity expenses are reimbursed.

Contact Victoria, Project Co-ordinator now: 020 7561 5289 or email.

The service enables service users to utilise mainstream community activities, focussing on health and culture. A key outcome will be greater social inclusion for mental health service users, enhancing their social networks and offering opportunities to volunteer in supporting other service users to identify, enhance and develop their own areas of special interest and personal goals. Volunteering within this service will be part of breaking barriers of stigma and social exclusion for mental health service users, enhancing understanding and experience for the people of Islington both within and without mental health services.

Our volunteers support people (primarily those on CPAs) who wish to get involved in the following areas:

Health including assistance with:

• Attending yoga, pilates, aerobics etc.
• Going to the gym.
• Assistance with accessing wider health advice, e.g. weight management, diabetes management, attending stop-smoking courses, going for a walk.

Sport including:

• Existing team sport activities
• Developing team sport activities
• Personal interests, e.g, swimming, running, tennis, squash etc.

Culture including accessing:

• Current music opportunities e.g. IMF, user music groups.
• Museums, art galleries, concerts etc.
• Dance classes etc.

This list is not exhaustive.

New service

Six fortnightly walks with a professional tour guide

Many delights and surprises en route in London

• Experience a solid gold bar in the palm of your hand
• Visit Princess Diana's bridge in a beautiful royal park
• Escort the marching band and soldiers to the Palace
• Explore Soho and Chinatown
• See the very spot where King Charles the First lost his head
• Walk down the lane where the Great Fire of London began
•  Experience a simulated earthquake

Contact

Victoria Emms, Buddying Project Co-ordinator, 020 7561 5289 or victoria.emms@islingtonmind.org.uk

Joanna's Story

Before I was involved with the Buddying Project I had been agoraphobic for about 4 years. In the beginning it was so bad I couldn’t even stand on my front door-step, let alone leave the house. I was really isolated; the anxiety was so bad I couldn’t do simple things like answering the phone. I went from crisis to crisis: overdosing, self-harming, regularly ending up in A&E.
 
I attended therapy and was slowly getting better but found myself frustrated by the amount of things I still couldn’t do. Using public transport, finding my way around, doing shopping made me really anxious. I knew I had to start doing these things again but it was very hard to face alone. That was why I wanted to try Islington MIND’s Buddying Project.
 
My goal I set myself with my Buddy was to get involved with some sort of activity which would mean being in a group of people. My biggest fear! Motivation had always been a big problem for me but knowing there was someone friendly who I was meeting, even if it was a very bad day, really helped me keep trying. I became more motivated as I went along.

I liked the fact that the Project lasted a set time of 3 months. Committing to something for 3 months rather than longer felt less intimidating and more manageable. It was helpful to be able to set a goal, even a tiny one, within the time frame and look forward to achieving that sooner rather than later. It brought the light at the end of the tunnel closer.

When I was out with my Buddy I was able to ask questions like ‘Did people look at me oddly?’ and her answers helped me take a more objective view of myself and the way others reacted to me. At first when we’d go to places my Buddy would do the talking, asking for directions and information. By the end of the three months I found I could do this myself.

One of the best things I got from the Project which I hadn’t predicted was the experience of simply feeling normal around someone. When you spend a lot of time talking to therapists, psychiatrists and doctors, and generally being treated as someone with mental health problems, it’s easy to forget who you are outside of that. I learnt how to be myself again, to be able to chat to someone about a book I’d read or something casual and not worry that I was a terrible person to be around or some kind of freak. I felt normal.
 
Doing the Buddying Project has made a really big difference to my life. The experience of having someone support me and encourage me to face my fears has stayed with me. Whenever I get nervous I’m always reminded of the times when my buddy showed me I can do things, even when they make me anxious.