Befriending and Connection Services
- Location: Age UK Buckinghamshire
- Price: Free
Our Befriending and Connection services offer support for older people across Buckinghamshire who feel lonely or socially isolated and aims to help them become more connected and improve their wellbeing.
What is our Gift of Friendship Programme?
Our Gift of Friendship programme offers companionship, confidence building and support to older people who may be feeling alone or cut off from their community.
When you join, you’ll be matched with a friendly, trained volunteer who will take the time to get to know you, understand your needs and help you achieve personal goals — whether that’s getting out and about, connecting with interests old and new, or simply having something new to talk about.
This programme has been made possible thanks to funding from the Julia Rausing Trust, provided via Age UK National.
How it works
We understand that everyone’s situation is different. That’s why we offer a range of support options tailored to your needs and preferences:
- Face-to-face short-term support (6 months)
Regular visits from a volunteer to help you build confidence and work toward personal goals.
- Long term befriending
Reserved for those who are the most isolated, lonely and vulnerable, this offers ongoing companionship and support from a volunteer for as long as it’s needed. This can be face to face, or via telephone befriending.
- National telephone befriending
We’ll connect you to Age UK’s national telephone befriending service, offering consistent companionship over the phone.
Our dedicated service coordinator will work with you from the beginning to find the right type of support and match you with a volunteer who fits your interests and needs.
Why choose Gift of Friendship?
This service can help you:
- Feel more confident and connected
- Build new friendships
- Reengage with your local community
- Improve your wellbeing
Who can join?
The programme is open to anyone aged 50 and over living in Buckinghamshire who feels lonely or socially isolated. Please note we cannot take clients that have significant mental health challenges or have a memory impairment.
The Gift of Friendship service is not offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Our referrals are triaged by our team according to need and volunteer availability, and we operate a 6-month waitlist.