Meet Our First Buddies!

"I enjoy having Lizzie as my buddy because I have a fun time with her. I really enjoy winding her up and chatting with her." - Martina

Martina (left) and Lizzie (right) became phone buddies since the lockdown started in March. They’ve not only supported each other but had lots of fun over video calls too! Here, Lizzie shares her exciting buddy journey with Martina.

How did you and Martina first meet?

I started volunteering with KEEN in October last year, the first session I went to was KEEN teens and the first person I met was Martina! She buddied me on that session and showed me how things worked. It was really great to have Martina showing me the ropes as I didn’t know anyone or what happened at sessions and she made me feel included in the KEEN community from day one!

What are your favourite things to do together? 

Have a chat and a gossip! We usually have three calls a week, two of them we just have a chat and talk about what we’ve been doing that week and the KEEN sessions we’ve been to. The third call we do an activity session, usually on Saturday morning, and Lorelei comes to that one as well. To begin with, Martina made up a quiz each week for us to do which was great fun (and really difficult!) and now we also do a craft session where Martina shows us how to do different crafts. So far we have made a paper hat, hand puppets, a mask, a pop-up rainbow card and made bingo sheets then we had a game of bingo! It’s a really nice way to start the weekend and we always have a chat as well while we are making our artwork.

How do you feel as a phone buddy?  

Being a phone buddy makes me feel very connected to the KEEN community. I know I’m definitely not the only one who has really missed all the fun we have at sessions and seeing our friends each week. It’s been an important way for me to stay connected and not feel isolated during the lockdown and I always come away from our calls feeling happier and more positive.

“Martina always makes me laugh! She’s got loads of stories and she’s very cheeky and loves to play jokes and wind me and other people up. I spend most of our calls laughing as she tells me stories of pranks she has played on people at KEEN sessions. “ - Lizzie Ritz

Is there something exciting or meaningful that you would like to share? 

Volunteering with KEEN isn’t just about what you can do for or contribute to KEEN, it’s also about what KEEN can do for you. There’s such a strong culture of inclusivity and everyone joining in and looking out for each other. I’ve always felt that I’m the one that’s being included and welcomed into the KEEN community and very lucky to have met such an amazing bunch of people. 

Do you have a message for anyone thinking about being a buddy? 

Being a buddy is a really worthwhile thing to do. It’s guaranteed to be a positive experience. It’s so easy to get caught up with work or studying so taking time in the week to just have a chat and connect with someone is really important, especially at the moment where we’re all struggling with social restrictions and it feels like there is only ever doom and gloom in the news. It’s a great way to inject some positivity into your life!