Befriender: Telephone or Home-Visiting

What You'll Do: 
  • As we get older, it’s easy to become isolated and lonely as our opportunities for social activities reduce. Some older people see no-one for days at a time. A regular weekly visit or phone call from a local volunteer befriender can brighten someone's day, help improve their mental health and often results in friendship.
  • We carefully match befrienders with an older person who we think you’ll get on with – someone who may have a shared interest or something else in common with you.
  • You then arrange to meet or speak at a time that works for you both, and we keep in touch to make sure things are going well. We offer in-person befriending with home visits (when we are able to), as well as telephone befriending.
Why You'll Love It: 
  • Would you like to spend an hour or two each week taking someone out for a while, watching a film, playing Scrabble – or simply having a chat over a cup of tea?.
  • As a Volunteer Befriender, you'll be helping to reduce someone's feelings of loneliness and isolation, which can bring about a big increase in their mental and physical health, and overall quality of life.
  • You will get a lot in return: a feeling of being connected to your community, the fun of getting to know someone you might not otherwise meet, and even a new friendship.
  • Some of our befriendees may have some degree of dementia, so we will train you to feel confident in providing support to someone with needs of this kind.
Summary
Volunteering
Befriender
Older People
26 Weeks Minimum
1 Hours / Week
Skills you will develop: 
Active listening
Empathy
Interpersonal / Confidence
Requirements: 
DBS check
Over 18 years old
Training

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