Volunteers visit older, isolated people in their homes, once a week for an hour to chat with them, share a cup of tea and a cake, maybe play a board game. Mental health is improved vastly when a person is able to connect with others - whether that's through getting together and chatting about what's going on in the neighbourhood, reminiscing about their past, or even getting out and about with you to have a coffee somewhere.
A lot of our beneficiaries don't get out because they've lost confidence, have no one to go out with, and need that little bit of encouragement and support. Others are housebound or bedbound, and can't get out at all - they need you to bring your best stories and cheerful smiles to them, to bring a little light into their homes. You may be the only person they see all day.
We've been doing this for 10 years, so we know how important volunteers are to our older community - you can make a massive difference.
We reimburse travel to and from the beneficiary's home and provide ongoing support.
Contact us by emailing welcome.friends@volunteeringmatters.org.uk or calling 01495 366062