Help a City resident rediscover social connection!

Volunteer Centre Hackney’s Community Befriending project provides companionship to residents in the City of London experiencing loneliness and social isolation by matching them with voluntary befrienders.

We are looking for people who live or work in the City of London and can give an hour of their time each week to support a vulnerable local resident who may be experiencing social isolation and loneliness. The role can involve weekly phone calls, home-visits to house bound residents or meeting a vulnerable resident at their door and supporting them to go out for a walk or a coffee.

By becoming a Community Befriender you will help enhance the quality of a local resident’s life by supporting and promoting their confidence, and helping them improve their health and wellbeing.

The resident you volunteer with might need support in one or more of the following areas:

• Social Isolation and Loneliness
• Confidence Building
• Physical Health/Mental Health

Your key tasks will include:

• Be an active listener
• Help build confidence and self-esteem
• Offer support in identifying and achieving goals and aspirations (such as going out for walks, or taking up a hobby)
• Develop and sustain a positive relationship with the individual
• Keep records for calls, provide feedback and ensure urgent issues are reported straight away
• Ensure own well-being, and check in regularly via individual or group supervision

You will receive a 90-minute training session, which will cover the responsibilities of a befriender, the referral pathways for befriendees, safeguarding concerns, maintaining personal boundaries, and active listening and empathy skills.

You will have monthly one-on-one check-in sessions with a member of the befriending team at VCH, as well as the possibility of attending monthly online peer support sessions facilitated by a Mind clinician.

To register your interest, please visit: https://www.vcconnectsystem.org.uk/HackneyVMS2/VolunteerOpportunities/DetailsForSearch/5353

For any queries, you can get in touch with Bridget at bridget@vchackney.org.