Exhibition celebrating meaningful human connection marks Befriending Week in Worthing

Time to Talk Befriending's Side-by-Side exhibition celebrates meaningful moments of connection in later life and shows why they matter.

The exhibition coincides with Befriending Week, which runs from November 1 to 7, and there is an opportunity to meet the team at Worthing Town Hall on Tuesday, November 3, from 10am to 3pm.

Emily Kenward, founder and chief executive, said: “This Befriending Week, Time to Talk Befriending is asking for befriending to be recognised and supported as an essential service for health and wellbeing, so that more people can experience meaningful connection when they need it.

“As we grow older, the things that make us who we are do not suddenly become less important. We still want to be known, listened to, share our interests, contribute and know that we matter.

“Side by Side celebrates the relationships that make that possible. Befriending can look very simple from the outside but a dependable relationship takes thought, trust and ongoing support. Our role is not just to introduce two people. We support the relationship so it can continue to be meaningful and safe as life changes.”

Thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund, the charity delivers its work across Adur and Worthing, alongside its work in Brighton and Hove.

Emily said befriending is about much more than providing someone to talk to. The charity specialises in creating and sustaining carefully-matched relationships in advanced later life, when changes in health, mobility, memory, confidence or personal circumstances can make staying connected increasingly difficult.

Its approach includes getting to know the whole person, careful matching, ongoing reviews, volunteer support, safeguarding, signposting and support when circumstances change.

Emily said: “This is reflected in the exhibition itself. The photographs make visible relationships that often develop quietly, week by week, including in the homes of older people who may otherwise have few opportunities to connect with others. They celebrate not only conversation and companionship but what it can mean to be remembered, expected and valued, while still having opportunities to share interests, experience and humour.

“This approach is at the heart of Time to Talk Befriending’s 2026–2029 strategy, which recognises loneliness as being about more than the absence of social contact. It can also be about wanting to feel seen, heard, valued and meaningfully connected. The strategy places trusted relationships, compassionate support and quality at the heart of the charity’s future direction.”

The strategy also celebrates the charity’s volunteers, whose time, care and commitment make these relationships possible. Recognising how vital they are, supporting their wellbeing and ensuring they feel valued are central to the charity’s future plans.

Visitors to the Side by Side exhibition will be able to talk informally with the team about befriending, volunteering and the charity’s work with older people across Adur and Worthing.

As a member of Befriending Networks, Time to Talk Befriending has access to and contributes towards specialist guidance, training and resources developed for the befriending sector and is connected to services across the UK to share learning about good-quality befriending. The charity also holds Befriending Networks’ Quality in Befriending Excellence accreditation.