FEATURE: Teenagers are notorious for wanting excitement, adventure, and not having much to do with adults.

But for children in care in Swindon, adult company, normality and a settled emotional life are exactly what they crave. ANDY BLIZZARD reports on a group of volunteers trying to bring some calm into troubled young lives.

IT PROBABLY wouldn't make much of a film title, but A Life More Ordinary would serve pretty well as the slogan for Swindon Independent Volunteers.

Because if the group stands for anything, it's bringing a reassuring, calming presence into the lives of youngsters who've known more than their fair share of turmoil.

Many children in care in Swindon have been abandoned, abused, or just let down by their parents.

And once the care system takes over, life can become a dizzying whirl of different foster homes, their existence directed by a series of professionals they suspect might only be interested in them because they are paid to be.

At times like this, they need a friend. And, as Swindon Independent Visitors' Heidi Sydor explains, the role of the project is to provide them.

"The idea of the independent visitors is to provide a constant adult," she said.

"It's somebody who is there for them, and who will be there if they change foster parents or schools.

"If you are changing from foster family to foster family, the consistency isn't there.

"These children also have so many professionals associated with them, but what they need is someone who's there for them rather than professionally interested."

There are about 190 children currently in care in Swindon, but the project concentrates on those aged between eight and 18, and whose lives have seen more family upheaval than most.

Volunteers undergo six weeks of training and police checks before being matched with a young person, then start to spend regular time with their match in the hope that a long-term relationship will blossom.

"I think it matters to the young people to have somebody who's interested in them, and to have their own person," said Heidi.

"Often, the regularity of the visits is something that builds up their confidence, and they benefit from the input of a different person into their lives.

"A foster parent has got a role of telling you to do things and ordering your life, whereas an independent visitor is an adult who's a friend.

"Over time, they can develop a relationship where they can ask questions about things and get advice."

Heidi admits that not everyone could be an independent visitor, and that forming a relationship with the young people can be something of a slog.

"Some of them find it very difficult to start talking, and it needs a lot of persistence on the part of the independent volunteer.

"But then something happens and there's a breakthrough. They find something they are very keen on doing, or maybe it's just a process of time."

The things that volunteers and youngsters do together are also fairly unspectacular like swimming, watching films, playing sports, and eating burgers.

But it is the very fact that these experiences are normal that makes them so important.

"Sometimes the ordinary experiences are not things that have featured in the young people's lives, because they've been too busy surviving the things they have gone through," she said.

"I would describe the independent visitor process as making life as normal as possible, because there are many normal experiences that the young people haven't had.

"I know one of the lads has said to his independent visitor that he'd really love to go to London, but he's never been, even though he's in his late teens.

"Children who've had a bad experience of home can counter that with an independent visitor, and get a more realistic view of life."

The project, which is run by national charity Spurgeon's Child Care and supported by Swindon Council, is currently looking to recruit more volunteers to its 17 strong visitor team. So what kind of person makes a good volunteer?

"You have got to like children," said Heidi.

"You have got to be reliable because you don't want to be letting them down, and you have got to be committed, because the aim of this is long term.

"What you don't have to be is any particular age or any particular colour, or from any particular occupational background."

The project is securely funded for the foreseeable future, but would welcome any support to help it provide a better service to its young people and volunteers.

An extra office computer, or help with organising a trip to the seaside, would be particularly welcome, and anyone interested in supporting the scheme, or becoming an independent visitor, should telephone Heidi on 01793 615049.