Directory: Befriending

Partnership with Royal Voluntary Service and GoodSAM,  Volunteer responders can provide short term telephone support to people in need of a friendly phone call and encouragement to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

Active and In Touch (Befriending) – volunteers visit and help people who have become isolated or out of touch with the community around them and support them in getting involved with groups or activities.

Active and In Touch (Social Groups) – run weekly for people to come together and socialise through activities, special events or a chat over a cup of tea:

Mondays, 11am – 1pm every Monday at 22 Christchurch Street West, Frome, BA11 1EE (please call Gwen first on 07375 336 733 to ensure there is space)

or

Tuesdays, 11am – 1pm every Tuesday each month.  First Tuesday at the Cornerhouse, Christchurch St East, Frome, BA11 1QA.  Then every other Tuesday of the month at Trinity Hall, Trinity Street, Frome, BA11 3DE.

Age UK and their partner charity The Silver Line offer a free telephone friendship services so you can enjoy chatting with someone over the phone, all from the comfort of your own home. Whether you’d like to speak to someone every week, or just want to talk when the need strikes, call the number below to find out more information.

Age UK Somerset are an independent charity delivering services and activities for older people in Somerset. They offer free information and advice to older people and their families via an information and advice line. They also offer a befriending service, a range of physical activities groups and a toe nail cutting service.

Dogs for Health is a charity that offer animal assisted therapy, animal assisted interventions and animal assisted education. Volunteers visit people in their own homes, hospitals, care homes and schools to support people through activities, education and professional therapy with the help of our dogs.

Covering Frome, Shepton Mallet, Coleford, Westbury and Warminster.

Are you unable to get to a library yourself? Would you like to have library books brought to you at your home?

The Somerset Home Library Service brings the library to you. The service is open to people of all ages.  When you contact us, we will arrange for a volunteer to visit you. You can discuss what you like to read and the best times to visit you, usually on fortnightly or monthly basis. The volunteer will go to the library to choose your books and deliver them to you.
Volunteers can also support you in accessing free e-Books, eAudiobooks & e-Magazines. They can provide you with audio books and DVDs (there is normally a charge for these items). Our volunteers have been DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checked and have given references.

Please note, Covid restrictions are currently in place for visits.

Health Connections Mendip run a postcard project in Frome and the surrounding area. Anyone can get involved, it’s aimed at people who may not be able to attend groups easily. If you’d like to receive a free regular postcard from one of our writers do get in touch.

If you’d like to become a writer we have a induction process and a project worker to support our writers.

Re-engage has been providing social contact for older people for over 50 years. This free service provide monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties and regular friendly phone chats. The tea parties are a lifeline of friendship for lonely people over 75.

Re-engage offer a a free service called Call Companions, this is a service for older people who are lonely, isolated or in need of a companionship and would enjoy a regular friendly phone call, please use the online form HERE and we will then be in touch with the older person directly.

The Glastonbury monthly tea parties are not currently running.

Do you know someone with sight loss who would benefit from specialist support? Somerset Sight runs a volunteer visiting and befriending service across the county which is available to anyone with sight loss. If you know someone who would benefit from a befriender or may need other practical or emotional help, such as magnifiers lighting or talking books, please get in touch.

The Silver Line is a confidential, free, national helpline for older people. Open 24 hours a day and every day of the year. They can offer information, friendship and advice. They can signpost callers to the many, varied groups and services that exist in Mendip.

Face to Face or Telephone Befriending/Companionship Calls for the over 55s across Mendip

Can you spare an hour a week to brighten up someone’s day? If the answer is “Yes” then we would love to hear from you.

We are looking for more wonderful friendly volunteers to facilitate our expanding service to befriend older people on a one to one basis across Mendip.

Our Volunteer  Face to Face or Telephone Befrienders help improve the quality of life for older people across Mendip who are socially isolated and may feel lonely. Our befrienders are introduced to one of our members with the purpose of meeting or calling them to have fun and friendly chit chat for up to an hour to help the person feel less isolated. Keeping connected is particularly important at this time.

The aim of our befriending service is to reduce isolation and loneliness, provide a platform for our members to feel part of a nurturing community and support network.  Most of all, to provide our members with something to look forward to.

If this sounds like you and you like sound of helping out, please get in touch to find out more about becoming part of our wonderful team.