Just do it.

“Just do it.” It’s one of the most recognisable phrases in the world, made famous by Nike. It’s about action. About not overthinking. About stepping forward, even when you’re unsure.

But sometimes, “just doing it” doesn’t look like a big leap or a bold, public moment.

Sometimes, it looks like something much quieter.

Sometimes, it looks like showing up.

Sometimes, a child just needs someone to keep showing up.

There is a child in Year 5 being supported by SAMS who has been through more than most children their age should have to deal with. Their family circumstances have been difficult, with family breakdown and poor mental health within the family creating a challenging environment for them to grow up in.

Over time, the impact began to show. They had very low self-esteem and struggled to believe in themselves. They found friendships difficult and would often isolate themselves from other children. They were frequently negative and struggled with anger at home. What might have looked on the surface like difficult behaviour was, underneath it, a child who was struggling emotionally and didn't always know how to deal with what they were feeling.

Then a SAMS volunteer started spending time with them.

Every week, for an hour, that volunteer shows up. They play football together, talk about football, play games and chat. It might sound simple, but that consistency has given this child something incredibly important: a trusted adult who is there for them.

Through the relationship, the volunteer has been able to help them explore their emotions, understand their frustrations, think about relationships and begin to recognise their own strengths. Football has become a way into conversations that might otherwise be difficult for them to have.

And slowly, things have started to change.

They are more positive. They are interacting better with their peers and are making significant progress socially, emotionally and academically. A recent professional review described the volunteer as a trusted adult providing emotional security and highlighted the significant progress this relationship has helped them make.

Perhaps most importantly, they are beginning to develop a more positive view of themselves.

This is what SAMS is about: giving children a safe, consistent relationship with someone who will listen, encourage them and keep showing up.

And this isn't just one child.

Across five schools, more than 30 children are currently receiving one-to-one support from SAMS volunteers. Each has their own circumstances, their own challenges and their own reasons for needing someone to come alongside them. There are more children who need that support, but we need more volunteers to make it possible.

SAMS provides this support free of charge to the children and schools but there is a cost to SAMS. Just £90 per month covers our partnership with a charity that helps train our volunteers and provides them with resources, guidance and ongoing support, helping those volunteers to do the very best they can for the children they support.

But the real heart of this work isn't the money. It's people.

It's someone deciding that they can give an hour a week.

Someone willing to listen, to play, to talk, to encourage and to build a relationship over time.

Sometimes changing a child's life starts with something as simple as showing up.