Route1 Advocacy is a service in Somerset that provides advice and support to children and young people who are in care or who have a social worker. It works by matching volunteers with young people, offering both short-term advocacy support and longer-term Independent Visitor relationships.
The goal is to ensure that children’s voices are heard, and their wishes and feelings are taken into account when decisions are made about their lives.
This Easter, Route1 Advocacy organised an interactive day out at RSPCA West Hatch for a group of young people and their independent visitors (IVs), with special thanks to their host, Alice Litchfield.
During the visit, the group explored the acres of land at the RSPCA and used identity cards to spot various flora and fauna. They discovered wildflowers such as cowslips and bluebells, observed an unusual moth, swallows, bluetits, a peacock butterfly, and even found a very old tree!
Inspired by the nature walk, the children designed and painted cut tree trunks to decorate the learning room, which will also serve as seating. The children and their IVs had a wonderful time; one child remarked, “It was fun,” while another shared, “We enjoyed getting into nature and creating something beautiful.”
This marks the fifth year that Route1 Advocacy has collaborated with the RSPCA, providing children with the opportunity to learn about animal welfare, the invaluable work of the RSPCA, and participate in quizzes, crafts, enrichment activities for the animals, and much more!
Volunteers Needed!
Route1 Advocacy is always looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join in making these experiences possible:
- Advocates work alongside individual children to ensure their voices are heard and their wishes and feelings are considered. Each case is usually short-term.
- Independent Visitors make a long-term commitment to one child in care, visiting them once or twice a month to build a trusting, supportive relationship.
Volunteers provide a highly valued service and improve the well-being of vulnerable children and themselves. No previous experience is necessary as full training is provided. More information can be found at Volunteer for Route1.
