Face-to-Face Befriender
Tower Hamlets Friends and Neighbours
Tower Hamlets Friends & Neighbours has been befriending older residents across the borough since 1947. We match trained volunteers with older neighbours who are lonely or socially isolated for regular weekly or fortnightly visits. As a Face-to-Face Befriender, you will be matched with one older neighbour and visit them at home weekly or fortnightly for around an hour. The visit is shaped by what the person you visit wants. Some prefer tea and conversation. Some want a walk to the local shop or
Tower Hamlets Friends & Neighbours has been befriending older residents across the borough since 1947. We match trained volunteers with older neighbours who are lonely or socially isolated for regular weekly or fortnightly visits. As a Face-to-Face Befriender, you will be matched with one older neighbour and visit them at home weekly or fortnightly for around an hour. The visit is shaped by what the person you visit wants. Some prefer tea and conversation. Some want a walk to the local shop or park. Some want help with a small practical task. Some simply want company. You are not a carer. You are a regular friendly face. Behind you is a full team; a coordinator, safeguarding lead, trustees and you are never alone with a difficult situation. We are looking for around ten new face-to-face befrienders across the borough. We are particularly keen to hear from people who speak Bengali, Sylheti, Somali or Cantonese.
Advice, Information & Support,Befriending, Buddying & Mentoring,Caring,Community Work,Support Work,General & Helping
Customer Service
– A willingness to listen and to turn up reliably. – Patient, particularly when conversations move slowly or repeat themselves. – Discretion - what is said in a visit stays in the visit, with the exception of safeguarding concerns which go straight to a team member. – Comfortable spending time one-to-one in someone’s home. – No specific qualifications or prior experience required. Full training provided.
– Make a meaningful, sustained difference to one older neighbour’s life. – Ongoing free training: dementia awareness, safeguarding, communication and loneliness in later life. – All travel and out-of-pocket expenses paid promptly. – Regular peer support and one-to-one supervision. – A reference after six months of consistent volunteering. – The chance to learn from someone whose life has been long, varied and interesting.
1–2 hours per week (or 2–3 hours per fortnight for fortnightly visits). Minimum commitment: 6 months. Times: flexible — daytime, evenings or weekends, agreed between you and the person you visit.
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Most visits happen in the home of the older neighbour, across the borough — Bethnal Green, Stepney, Poplar, Bow, Whitechapel, Wapping, Mile End, Shadwell, Limehouse, Isle of Dogs.
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