• Are you Bilingual?
• Do you like meeting new people and forging new friendships and connections?
• Do you have good communication skills and a friendly, helpful manner?
• Do you have an hour per week to spare for a chat?
• Would you like to support a community member who is feeling lonely and isolated?

SIS and Together Co Befriending recognise how valuable a phone call can be in relieving isolation and other social stresses.

A volunteer Telephone Befriender can make a real difference to one person’s life by providing a positive social experience.

Migrants and people with language needs can feel particularly isolated.  They often have few people they can connect with because of language and cultural barrier.  A call from a bilingual volunteers demonstrates that there is still someone who cares; a listening ear, someone to share thoughts with and take the mind off every day problems.

Telephone Befrienders can play an important role in helping a person to regain a sense of purpose and direction, boosting their confidence by connecting them with the community.  

Volunteer Telephone Befrienders will:

• Have good communication skills
• Have time, motivation and energy to create a special and unique relationship
• Be patient, empathetic and respectful
• Befriend one (or more) people for a minimum period of 3 months
• make a weekly phone call to their friend for up to one hour
• pass messages back to SIS about any practical or emotional needs of their friend

Volunteer Befrienders will receive:

• Training and a manual to deliver the service
•  Additional skills development and training opportunities
• Support from a Projects Co-ordinator and from their peers
• Out of pocket expenses

For more information about the Befriending service click here and to register your interest please contact Ben Williams on 01273 234016 or use the form below.