VOLUNTEERS staff and trustees from Winchester’s Friends of the Family have attended a training course on Emotional Health and Wellbeing in children.

The course was designed to help the volunteers recognise the signs of emotional distress and be able to intervene before it worsens into adolescence and adulthood.

The training day was organised by Sam Hunt, Friends of the Family’s 5s to 13s Befriending Manager and delivered by Kailea Hurcombe, Operations Manager at Solent Youth Action.

For over 20 years Friends of the Family has supported children and families across the district through its Mums and Under 5s Group, its 5s to 13s Befriending Project and its Dads Support Service.

Kailea said: “The training we provide helps to identify the signs, the behaviours and the risk factors of poor emotional wellbeing and arms volunteers with the tools to be able to get that child to share their worries and help alleviate the negative feelings that child has. The volunteers and staff at Friends of the Family will hopefully be able to take what they learnt in the training and apply it to the wonderful work they do with children and families, nurturing the emotional wellbeing of children who need it the most.”

Friends of the Family’s chairman of trustees, Viv Wheeler, said:"We realise how important it is to give our volunteers the opportunity to learn new skills that will give them confidence in supporting young children and families, as well as the chance to get together and share ideas. It was wonderful to see so many of our volunteers at the training and we hope that they find it beneficial in their voluntary role.”

To find out more about the volunteering opportunities at Friends of the Family email volunteer@fotfwinchester.org or call 01962 864466.