Befriending Week: Making Connections and Tackling Loneliness
This Befriending Week, we’re celebrating the difference that friendship, companionship and meaningful connections can make to unpaid carers.
Caring for someone can leave little time for socialising, maintaining friendships or taking time for yourself. Some carers find it difficult to get out, while others may feel alone even when they’re with the person they care for. Having someone who takes the time to listen can help carers feel understood, valued and supported.
Since 2020, our Telephone Befriending service has offered carers a friendly listening ear during times when they may be feeling lonely, isolated or finding things difficult. Our volunteers are at the heart of this support.
One of those volunteers is Lynda, who has been a telephone befriender with us for three years. She kindly shared her story, what she enjoys about volunteering and the difference a conversation can make.
Meet Lynda: Making a Difference Through Befriending
Could you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
I’m 82 now and I’m the mother of two sons. I was lucky enough to be able to stay at home with them when they were growing up. My husband was an engineer and we lived in a few different places over the years, including Canada, Kent and the Cotswolds, but always returning to Solihull in between.
What inspired you to become a volunteer telephone befriender?
I became a befriender when I volunteered at Solihull Samaritans in my forties, when the boys didn’t need my full attention any more. I did my training there and, having volunteered for a while, began to wonder what happened to these troubled people after they had decided to go on living.
This led me to take an ‘Introduction to Counselling’ course at Solihull College. I was well and truly hooked and then studied for Warwick University’s Counselling Diploma, which I got about a year later.
What difference do you think having someone to talk to can make for an unpaid carer?
The difference we make is quite hard to define and I guess that we are different things to different people. Generally, I would think that the carer would feel a little more understood, knowing that we genuinely care.
Without sharing any identifying details about carers, is there a moment that has stayed with you or helped you see the difference your calls make?
The thing that always touches me is when, in the last session, a client may say how much they have felt supported by the sessions.
It makes it so worthwhile!
What do you enjoy most about being a befriender?
I enjoy the feeling that I may have brightened someone’s day.
Has volunteering taught you anything or changed your understanding of caring?
What would you say to a carer who feels nervous or unsure about trying telephone befriending?
What would you say to someone thinking about volunteering as a befriender?
If you could describe befriending in three words, what would they be?
Introducing Community Befriending
We’re delighted to be expanding our befriending support with our new Community Befriending service.
The service offers unpaid carers up to six meet-ups with a trained volunteer, helping you feel less isolated and more confident getting out and about. Whether you’d like someone to accompany you to a local group, class or Carers Trust Solihull event, join you for a coffee, or simply enjoy a walk with you, support is shaped around your interests and goals.
If getting out is difficult because you cannot or would prefer not to leave the person you care for at home alone, a volunteer can visit you at home for a chat and some company. They can also offer basic help with technology, such as staying in touch with family or accessing services online.
Before being matched with a befriender, you’ll have an initial chat with our coordinator about what you’d like to get from the service.
