#BefriendingIs Inspiring with LINK Befriending, Fife
8th October 2020
Followers of Befriending Week may remember Liam Hayman’s story, published in 2018, about the difference that contact with LINK Adolescent Befriending had made to his life.
During a difficult time in his teenage years Liam had a befriender. “He provided me with an outlet who was not an authority, a family member or required to be there. He was just a guy who had gone through his own experiences. He gave me a chance to get a break from my problems and talk about them freely. Being with him gave me a regular break from the cage that I felt I was trapped in.”
After that experience Liam said “My relationship with my befriender and the impact it had on me inspired me to become a befriender myself.” He was matched with two befriendees during this period until moving away from Fife when completing his studies.
He has kept in touch with LINK Befriending and, when lockdown started and LINK set up the telephone befriending, Jane McIver, the project manager, approached Liam to ask if he would consider telephone befriending and Liam answered with a resounding, YES!. Below, listen to Liam and Jane’s interview on BBC Radio Scotland about the difference befriending makes and what LINK has done to keep people connected during the pandemic.
After the BBC Scotland interview Liam, was then interviewed for the Scottish Government Clear Your Head campaign, which provides information and support during the Coronavirus. You can watch Liam share more of his story here: https://twitter.com/scotgovhealth/status/1284792444828123137.
Liam’s story is inspiring. In 2018 he told us “I think that my experiences with LINK, in conjunction with the other help that I was lucky enough to receive as a teenager, has made me a stronger person” and because of this states “I always make time for volunteering” and encourages everyone to consider volunteering themselves.
Thank you to Liam for continuing to volunteer and advocate for positive mental health. We look forward to continuing to follow your story!