We support lonely and isolated adults in Hackney in person or over the phone.
Volunteer just an hour a week as a befriender, and help us fight loneliness, one of the UK’s most urgent public health issues.
About the Service
All you need is an hour every week to check in with someone in your community who is vulnerable. We’ll match you with the right person, based on your interests, schedule, language, and whether you’d like to meet in-person, or speak on the phone or online. We’re also here to support you throughout your volunteering. What you end up doing together is up to you! Some of our volunteers play pool with their befriendee, watch films, or listen to music. Others go out to cafes or for walks in the park. Some chat on the phone or online.
Our expert team gets 5 referrals a week for lonely and isolated City and Hackney residentsfrom healthcare professionals and other support organisations. Bridget, Tom, and Charlie – our Community Befrienders team– then contact the person, get to know them, and match them with a trained volunteer. In 2023, we provided over 6,500 hours of free 1-1 support for lonely and isolated Hackney residents. We couldn’t do this without our volunteers.
Join us, and help make sure people who are isolated or lonely feel valued.
How To Get Involved
To find out how to get started as a volunteer, or to refer someone to our service, click one of the buttons below.
If you are a healthcare professional, you can refer patients to VCH’s Community Befriending service. Simply fill in our form and we will be in touch.
Everyone who is referred to VCH Community Befrienders will be assessed against the eligibility criteria and also on an individual basis.
We may not always be able to provide support if the Service User’s needs are too high, particularly if there has been a recent suicide attempt, they are self-harming, or there is a current addiction. This is because we are not a front-line or crisis service and the role is done by volunteers. We will always inform you the referrer of the reasons for our decision.
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Community Befrienders Referral Form
Thank you for choosing to refer to Community Befrienders. Please fill in the details below as they are required for our funding, and so that we can provide the best service possible. The information you provide is confidential and is gathered and stored in accordance with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.
