Every week, Teddington Nub News details a cracking local job in further detail.

It is one of hundreds of positions on our Teddington Jobs section.

Today, we head to Teddington-based Ruils. The independent user-led charity provides support to disabled children and adults and people with long term health and mental health conditions, to live independently, be part of their community and to live life to the full. The community organisation provides information, advice, advocacy, befriending and activities to all members and their families.

February of this year saw Ruils mark its sixth fundraising dinner at Richmond FC, raising a remarkable £17,500.

The charity has a longstanding relationship with the club through its Trustee, Gareth Savin, who was paralysed after sustaining a serious neck injury when playing for Richmond aged 19-years-old.  

Seven years ago, Ruils supporter, Sue Dorrington, also a former Richmond FC (and England) player, organised the first fundraising dinner at the club as Ruils' FriendBee Befriending service for disabled young people which was at risk of closure due to a lack of funds.  

Legendary England rugby player Jason Leonard was the speaker at the first fundraising dinner, and Ruils were delighted to welcome him back seven years later for its sixth fundraising event which also coincided with the charity's 20th anniversary, underlining the incredible success it has achieved in its decorated 20-year history serving the Richmond and Kingston boroughs.

From being on the brink of closure, Ruils is now on the lookout to expand its ever-growing Befriending service and is seeking compassionate individuals wanting to make a difference in their community.

A rewarding role to help support those in need within the Richmond and Kingston communities is on offer at Ruils

FriendBee is a Ruils service that matches disabled young people with a paid Befriender to help them access social and leisure activities. The charity currently support young people up to the age of 25 that have a Special Education Need or Disability (SEND) that impacts their social life and live in the boroughs of Richmond and Kingston.

The primary role of Ruils' Befrienders is to build a relationship with a young person and support them in doing things that they want to do. This can range from doing activities in the home or going out in the community to participate in youth clubs or other organised activities.

As well as providing support social support to the young person, Befrienders enable parents and other family members to have respite from their caring responsibilities. This could look like a parent going out of the home while the Befriender stays with their child or spending quality time with the young person's siblings.

Among the vast range of benefits in becoming a Befriender at Ruils, successful candidates have the flexibility to choose their hours, create their own schedules and work with as many families as they choose. Once the recruitment process is complete, Befrienders will have full access to the FriendBee website, can post their profile and begin the matching process with a family looking for a Befriender.

For further details on the role and to submit your application, visit the link HERE.