Befriending: Home Visiting for Older People
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 your day, help improve your mental health and often results in friendship.
We carefully match you with a befriender 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.
Would you like a befriender?
To refer yourself or someone you know who may enjoy the opportunity to share a cuppa, go for a walk, or have a chat on the phone with a befriender, get in touch by emailing referrals@timeandtalents.org.uk, or by giving us a call on 020 7231 7845.
Telephone Befriending
Even if you only have 20 minutes a week, you can still help! We offer Telephone Befriending as well as face-to-face visits. Once a week, you make a phone call to an older person, offering a bit of company and a check-in to make sure all is well.
We’ll even give you some helpful prompts, to make sure your conversation gets off to a good start!
“Get Active Befriending” – Team-Up Take-Part
For many people, getting active – or just getting back outside for the first time in a while – can be pretty daunting. Not knowing what to do or where to go, or not having anyone to go with, can put a lot of us off.
But this is where T&T volunteers can help! Within a befriending pair, the volunteer provides an hour of one-to-one support each week, as befriender and befriendee embark on the journey of trying a new activity together. It’s a great way of providing motivation and support and, most important of all, companionship.
Would you like to become a befriender?
Volunteer befriending has been at the heart of Time & Talents’ offer for over 40 years, and we always have a waiting list of isolated older people who need someone to visit or call them weekly.
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?
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.