As a volunteer at Friends Action North East, I'm here to tell you about my experience so far. I started my second year studying Psychology and I was looking for a little bit of extra experience while studying. Volunteering with Friends Action North East has opened my eyes to the barriers that are present for people with learning disabilities. During my induction training, we were given tasks to try and map and plan a night out with friends. As easy as it sounds, there's a lot more to it when you need to think about it from the perspective of a person with learning disabilities, which was the second part of the task. After this I was more aware of the difficulties people with disabilities face. An easy night out with friends soon turns into a night of planning and preparation, when factors such as, how to use a mobile phone, where it is safe to go, which venues have level access, come in to play. I am happy to be part of an organisation that aims to help people overcome these barriers and provide a better overall experience when faced with difficult social situations. 

Friends Action North East offer various volunteer positions, some of which require only a few hours per week, these include: 1-2-1 Friendship Mentors, Digital Volunteers, Group support, Digital Inclusion Adviser and Senior Friendship Mentors.

I have recently started with Friends Action North East and am aiming to become a friendship mentor, hopefully I will be paired up with a friendship finder soon. I am currently helping the digital team set up a few things on the website as well working on this blog. There is always plenty to do here at Friends Action North East enabling you to get involved with your volunteering role.