READING Buddy Guide and Guidelines

Our Club exists to connect readers and improve accountability as a way to help you read more and feel better, and our Reading Buddy system is an optional way for you to stay in touch with one or more members of our Book Club between meetups and events.

If you’ve volunteered to be a Reading Buddy (and in turn have a Buddy of your own) then we ask that you follow the Shelf Help code of conduct (confidentiality, kindness and no judgement) as well as the guidelines below. Opting in to this scheme assumes that you agree to do so.

NB Extra brownie points for you, because learning to listen and to share as well as to show up consistently and reliably for your Self as well as somebody else are skills that will help you in every aspect of your life.

 

ABOUT THE BUDDY SYSTEM

  • Buddies are allocated at the beginning of each new BOTM.

  • You and your Buddy will act as sounding boards and moral support for each other as we work through the BOTM, as well as adding a crucial extra layer of accountability.

  • Each week we ask you to connect with your Buddy at least once ahead of the official sessions to discuss the latest reading and any aha moments, challenges and/or stumbling blocks you may both have. Below is a guide to best practices when it comes to being a best Buddy and listening ear so that all parties can get as much out of this experience as possible.

ARRANGING THE WEEKLY CHECK-IN

  • Choose a day/time/format that works for you both and use this same day/time/format every week for the duration of the Read-along.

  • We recommend catching up via FaceTime for eg 20 minutes on a weekday lunchtime ahead of the group sessions. You may prefer an old school call after work or a Zoom call after breakfast, depending on your schedules and your timezones.

  • Schedule this time as ‘busy’ in your diary so that you are not disturbed.

DURING THE CHECK-IN

  • Get rid of distractions (phone on silent/do not disturb, close door to office/home office or find a quiet place).

  • Common courtesy - no scrolling or yawning, do your homework and if you can’t make a session or will be late then please let your Buddy know well in advance.

CODE OF CONDUCT // BUDDY GUIDELINES


The shelf help. CodE - confidentiality kindness no judgement - should be adhered to at all times

To ensure that the Shelf Help Club remains an inclusive and safe space we also ask that you follow these Buddy guidelines:

  1. RESPECT:  Our members all have their own mental health needs and boundaries so please be respectful of these - online and potentially offline - and of sticking to the scheduled check-in time and format. Don’t bombard your Buddy with messages or requests. If you have any concerns regarding a check-in - or any community event - please be respectful and kind when communicating this to the person involved and if you are unable to resolve your concern with them directly please contact Toni (toni@shelfhelp.club).

  2. COMMUNICATIONS: Please attempt to share and listen equally at check-ins. Be mindful of whether what you are sharing is appropriate for a book club ‘Buddy’ and whether you are dominating the exchanges. All members should be able to contribute equally to these conversations.

Little Disclaimer: Shelf Help is not supposed to take the place of professional mental health treatment or therapy. Our community-led events are informal activities hosted by self-help lovers (and if at any time you are in need of immediate help or more support then please visit our contact page for details of groups you can call for advice). We have designed these guidelines to help you understand the community support that Shelf Help offers. If members are not able to adhere to these requests, as a peer support group, they will be removed from the Buddy scheme.