Through befriending our volunteers provide friendship to people who will benefit from increased social contact. Face to face or over the phone, our volunteers provide practical advice and support in a friendly approachable manner.
- This support is intended to be like those neighbourly ‘chats over the garden hedge’. Typical conversations often include chats around hobbies, friends and family, current affairs, and local events.
- Volunteers will help signpost or refer people onto other organisations who are better placed to discuss more complex issues such as medical or financial concerns.
- Befriending is intended to help raise awareness of local social events that people might be interested in, including those run by Hands Together Ludlow such as our weekly community lunch and afternoon teas.
- Befriending support will typically last three to six months. We hope that by then our volunteers will have helped people engage in a new activity or pastime. At that point our volunteer would turn their attention to another person needing a little extra help, encouragement, or support.
- People are usually referred to Hands Together Ludlow for befriending via statutory services or other community groups however we also accept self-referrals.
- For more information about befriending call our community helpline: 01584 873 062– or click here to complete a referral form.
Find out more about how you can volunteer.
Quotes:
"I’m a bit of a loner and you just don’t get the support you used to from people anymore. It’s very lonely now so it’s really good when Barry phones me. He’s a lovely guy and he’s helped me a lot when we chat as lots of people I knew and used to talk to have died.” (M)