"I highly recommend this service to any new mums"

“I am a mum with two very young boys living in Beckenham. I suffered from quite bad mental health issues after I had my second baby. I benefited from the befriender programme tremendously. It is often very difficult for a mum to find someone they can trust to talk about some sensitive issues. Through this programme, I found I have a regular one to one attention from a local lady who has quite similar challenges. It was very nice to share things and get a lot of practical help at the same time. I feel more calm each time I spoke to my befriender. I highly recommend this service to any new mums who is struggling in her daily life.”

Anon

"I always came away from our sessions feeling calmer"

“I was paired with the perfect Befriender for me. She made such a difference by providing a kind and compassionate ear. She helped me find new ways to play with my baby, which was great as I had never interacted with babies before. She helped give me the confidence to go out in the car with my baby, which had been a huge worry, and also the confidence to use the sling, which was a cause of huge anxiety after having a fall. The practical help was great, but her kind, listening ear was more important. I always came away from our sessions feeling calmer and with more perspective.”

Anon

"She helped me so much with my confidence as a mother"

“I had great fortune to have lovely lady named O assigned to me as my befriender. It was a brilliant match as we have same cultural background, similar life circumstances and age and it was really easy to connect with her. My main struggle was socialisation and managing outings with twin baby boys. As I was new to the neighbourhood and without friends near, having a local mom introduce me to playgroups and other children friendly activities and establishments was a lifesaver.

O was a great listener and, as someone with similar background, she could understand much easier and without too much explanation where some of my values and problems were coming from. Boys and I were looking forward to seeing her every week and she did help us immensely to adjust to new neighbourhood and was there to lend me an ear when things were not going as well as I hoped. She helped me so much with my confidence as a mother and was a great support to our family.”

Anon