Guild Care celebrates Befriending Week and calls for new volunteers to help meet demand for its befriending services

To mark this year's Befriending Week (1st to 7th November), local social care charity Guild Care is celebrating their befriending volunteers who help reduce loneliness among older people and encouraging more local people to consider becoming befrienders.

Guild Care's Befriending service matches volunteers with older people who may be living alone, have mobility challenges or find it harder to stay socially connected. Through regular visits and conversations, many of these matches develop into genuine friendships that enhance the lives of both the volunteer and the person they visit.

Sue Sweeney coordinates Guild Care's Befriending service. "Befriending is one of the simplest and most wonderful ways to make a difference in someone's life,” said Sue. “A regular visit and a friendly conversation can mean so much.

"We're incredibly grateful to our volunteer befrienders and the impact they have is incredible. But there are so many more people in our community who would love a befriending visit, so if you can spare a little time each week and enjoy meeting people and making a difference, we'd love to hear from you."

Sue spends time getting to know people first so she can carefully match personalities and shared interests. She then supports each volunteer and befriendee to make sure they continue to be happy with the arrangements.

One of the friendships formed through the service is between volunteer befriender Denny and Peter, who was introduced to Guild Care as he recovered from a stroke.

Denny said, "Befriending is about connection, just being a friend. You don't need specific qualifications, all you need is empathy, warmth, the ability to listen and be able to commit a regular weekly or fortnightly visit.

"It is amazing how a simple chat can lift someone's spirits, and your own. You gain incredible wisdom, hear fascinating stories and we share a lot of laughs. I really look forward to my visits.”

Peter said, "It's like having the younger sister I never had. We hit it off pretty much straightaway. Actually, it was almost a meeting of souls. We have some banter and I think we’ve discussed everything from politics to family to jobs, everything!”

Volunteer Suzi and befriendee David also discovered an immediate connection through their shared love of music.

Suzi said, "I don't think I'll ever forget our first meeting because I thought it would feel more awkward but literally within minutes, we had already started singing together."

David added, "Sometimes I don't see anyone all day between carers so it can make a terrific difference to know someone is visiting because you know you're going to have some conversation on that day at least."

These friendships are just two examples of the many meaningful connections created through Guild Care's Befriending service, helping isolated older people feel connected.

To find out more about becoming a volunteer befriender, visit www.guildcare.org/befriending or to discover all Guild Care’s community services, visit Older People's Services | Guild Care (www.guildcare.org).