Gillian Smith has been a Positive Futures Placement Provider for just over a year...

I applied to be a Placement Provider at a time in my life when I was feeling helpless and this made me think about how I could help others. I talked to a friend who has been a Placement Provider with Positive Futures for over 10 years and I decided to get involved.

I knew I'd like to work with people with a learning disability having previously volunteered at the Special Olympics 2006. I knew Positive Future was the charity I wanted to volunteer with having heard such glowing reports from my friend.

After completing the assessment process it was time to be matched with the individual I would be supporting. Grace, my Adult Placement Social Worker, took me to meet Claire* and her family at their home. We stayed and chatted for an hour. I sat beside Claire* and chatted, finding out what she liked and what her level of ability was. We then talked about possible dates and times to meet up and things that we both like to do.

Due to me being on my crutches at the time, Grace provided transport for our first outing together. Grace, Claire and I went to a garden centre for lunch to help us get to know each other. Since then we have visited the library as Claire likes to take out books to further her learning. We get on very well as we both love to talk and enjoy a lot of the same things. Claire's family call us "ladies who lunch" as we like to try out different cafes. I introduced Claire to Tesco and Asda as she had never been before, her mother only shops in smaller, more local shops.

I feel being with Claire boosts my own self-esteem as I am giving my time to help others. I can honestly say I have made a new friend and both Claire and myself feel we have fantastic new extended families.

* Name has been changed