Jamie’s story......

Q. How long have you been a peer mentor?
A. I've been on the project for just over 3 years now, time flies.

Q. How did you get involved what do you enjoy most?
A. I got involved when one of my mates mums (the project manager, Joanne) came and did a presentation at my school and it sounded like a lot of fun. It looked like it would thoroughly benefit my future school/university plans also.

Q. What have you gained?
A. I have gained a lot of fond memories and good friends as well as an insight to the role of a carer that I feel has benefited me with my university course.

Q. What do you do as peer mentor ?
A. Have fun! I go out on activities with all the young adults and facilitators and have a great laugh. If there are any of the young adults struggling with any tasks, i.e. feeling too shy to order food from a restaurant then I would assist them with that also.

Q. Why would you recommend others to become a peer mentor?
A. It’s one of the best decisions I certainly made in my life, like I said gained so many memories and made great friends. And it lets me try new things as well as giving me the sense of achieving something at times like when I was presented with my volunteer awards for the amount of hours worked.

Q. What do you feel the young adults have gained?
A. A friend, someone they can rely on and someone who is there for them. I hate letting people down and do all I can to help make people happy.

Q. What kind of activities have you done and what did you enjoy the most?
A. I have taken part in a whole range of activities: mini golf, bowling, laser quest, sailing, archery, go-karting, climbing walls, cinema, shopping…the list goes on. I have to say though my favourite activity wasn’t really an activity at all. The 3 times I have went with the project to Netherauchendraine, a guide camp lodge where the whole project was invited and we would spend the time with karaoke, fun games, a disco and a bonfire before watching a movie.

Q. What difficulties have you found in being a peer mentor?
A. For the first little while, meeting new people is hard, and you have that awkward period, be it an hour or a few weeks, however that is how it is in all walks of life, not just as a peer mentor. The drama workshops also were a little difficult for me, as believe it or not, I used to be a very shy person and singing /dancing were hard things for me to do. I have lost this sense of being too proud to partake and the project has helped me overcome these barriers and gave me a new sense of courage and confidence.

Q. How do you feel the young adults have progressed?
A. It’s hard to take a general perspective on this rather than individual cases, however as a whole you see young adults come in and at first, they won’t look or talk to anyone and you see through weeks and months, they turn into this new confident person. It really is amazing. Through work with peer mentors and facilitators, there really is a huge difference being made in some of these young adult’s lives.