January Cover Story – Natalie & Kaz – New Friendship Course

This month, January 2024, we talk to our peer mentors about why they love their role and what to expect with the new Friendship Course! 

What is a peer mentor? 

Colin, who has been peer mentoring on the Live your Life course says “being a peer mentor is wonderful and valuable because I am giving something back from what I have learned from the course. When I was on the course Natalie, Katrina and Kaz were the peer mentors. It was fantastic having peer mentors because if you were ever stuck you could ask them a question and they were around to give you advice – even at events, you could ask them for help if they were there.” 

Kaz, a long standing peer mentor on both LYL and Let’s talk about Sex says “I love doing the courses because it keeps it fresh and gives me a safe space to practice! It’s also really important for my mh. It’s a lifeline.”

What is it like to be on a course?

Natalie: “My experience – it was scary to begin with, but that quickly went away. It’s a really interesting learning experience, learning about yourself and learning about how other people experience things and navigate things. By the middle of the course you sort of become a little team with the other people, cheering each other on and supporting each other”

Kaz says “love the stability of the 12 week course and the diversity of the 6 week course”. 

What can you tell me about this new course?  

Friendship can be very difficult and people find it hard trying to keep a friend. Courses coordinator Clare has written the course as a step before Let’s talk about Sex to make a space for those conversations. Get2gether has noticed that friendship is something that everybody wants and that most people are told from an early age to go and make friends, but not everybody is taught how to actually do it.

Natalie says: “Sometimes making friends doesn’t come naturally to people, but it’s expected that everyone knows how to do it. You need to learn how to make friendships, and keep them healthy. Friendships are hard!”

Kaz said “I’m looking forward to seeing how the friendship course acts as a bridge between LYL and LTAS. Conversations  with other people is quite a skill, how to start a conversation and making the first connection with people?”

Sign up for the new Friendship Course by emailing clare@get2gether.org.uk!