Volunteers' Week 2026
Volunteers' Week is a time to recognise and celebrate the incredible contribution volunteers make within communities across the UK.
At Age UK Coventry and Warwickshire, we are proud to celebrateall of our volunteers and the difference they make every single day. Their time, compassion, and commitment help us support people across our community and create meaningful connections that have a lasting impact.
This year, we are shining a special spotlight on our befriending volunteers. Through friendship, conversation, and ongoing support, our befrienders help reduce loneliness and bring comfort, confidence, and connection to the people they support.
Throughout the week, we’ll be sharing stories and experiences from our volunteers as a way of saying thank you and celebrating the vital role they play in our organisation and wider community.
Our Befriending Impact
Befriending Volunteer Story 👥
I have been volunteering as a telephone befriender for just under three years. During this time, I have called my befriender each week and we have got to know each other very well. We talk for about an hour about anything and everything, and our conversations have become a real highlight of the week.
When I call, he usually answers the phone in a slightly cautious and quiet voice. But as soon as I introduce myself as being from the befriending service, his whole manner changes, and we settle into a lively and often very cheerful conversation.
His long life has given him a vast range of experiences, and he enjoys sharing stories from his past, as well as discussing current events and his thoughts on the world today.
After we had been speaking for around a year, he shared that he was planning to go on holiday for the first time in several years following the loss of his wife. Fortunately, everything went smoothly — a train journey with several changes, beautiful weather, and a seaside hotel with kind and attentive staff. When he returned, he was full of stories and eager to share every detail. I was really pleased he could enjoy the experience and loved hearing all about it.
During the time we have spoken together, I also went through a serious health issue and at one point, he would ask how I was feeling before I even had the chance to ask about him.
Over time, we have become good friends, even though we have never met and may never meet in person. We both listen, share, and support each other, and it is something we both very much value and enjoy.
Want to be a befriending volunteer? 🙋
Befriending volunteers make a real difference by offering regular companionship and support to people who may be feeling lonely or isolated.
Our volunteers provide either telephone befriending or home visit befriending, helping to build friendly, trusted connections through conversation and time spent listening.
It’s a simple but powerful way to improve wellbeing and reduce loneliness in our community.
Find out more about becoming a Befriending Volunteer and how you can get involved.