Seasons for Growth needs more caring ‘companions’

If you’re a patient, empathetic adult who enjoys working with children, Seasons for Growth in east Auckland wants to hear from you.

The Howick-based organisation offers programmes that help adults and primary and intermediate school aged children cope with issues that contribute to mental health challenges such as the loss of a loved one or a major life change.

Its new co-ordinator, Fiona De Ridder, is keen to hear from any local adults who’d consider becoming a trained volunteer, or companion, to help deliver the children’s programme.

“We’re always after more volunteers,” she says.

“We’re having a training soon to become a companion. First they have an interview to see what their interest is and what attracts them to Seasons for Growth.

“We do a police check and then a two-day training, which happens here in Auckland, with activities, and afterwards they’re free to run a programme.

“We always work two companions in one group and if they’ve just been on the training they’d first facilitate the programme with an experienced companion.”

The next training is on April 12-13. Companions give about an hour per week to the programme and deliver it in local schools during the daytime.

They work with between four and seven to eight children in a group setting at each session for eight weeks, De Ridder says.

“Companions need to have a passion for children, be able to listen to them, look at what their needs are, and be playful a little bit.”

Two of the organsation’s current companions are Sue Miller and Ken Stevenson.

Miller says parents, teachers and doctors may notice the sort of changes in a child that are signs he or she would benefit from what Seasons for Growth provides.

“There may be things such as poor behaviour or exclusion, and I’ve got some children at the moment who don’t speak at all.

“We encourage them to speak and remind them we can deal with these feelings if we take them out and look at them.

“We use an analogy of a cave. The feelings are deep in the cave, but you can’t see them.

“If we bring them out and very quietly look at them, and then put them back, you’re able to deal with them.

“Some of them won’t talk much but that doesn’t mean they aren’t taking in what’s being said.”

Stevenson says the organisation asks its companions to do at least two out of the four school terms during the year, so they’re committed.

“We’ve got more schools knocking on the door for programmes than we can provide companions for right now.

“We’re really short so it would be really good to get more people onto this training programme if we can.”

People interested in becoming a Seasons for Growth volunteer companion for can contact Fiona De Ridder on 09 533 0222, extension 704, or email griefandloss@allsaintshowick.org.nz.