Good Neighbour Scheme (Befriending Service)
- Location: Age UK Isle of Wight
- Price: Free
Email: gns@ageukiw.org.uk
Telephone: 01983 525282
The award winning Good Neighbour Scheme is a cornerstone of our services. We provide vital assistance, friendship and reliable support for local older people who have no one else to turn to. The scheme is built of volunteers working within every community on the Isle of Wight.
Our volunteers provide vital support and companionship through:
• Face to face befriending; visiting those who feel lonely or isolated for a cup of tea and a chat, or outside in the fresh air perhaps in the park for a short walk.
• Telephone befriending; calling regular residents to either have a catchup or simply for a wellness check to ensure they are doing ok.
• Relationship building; helping someone to regain confidence after illness or bereavement.
• Signposting vital information; provided by Age UKIW on other services available to improve their health and wellbeing
About Our Volunteers
We take pride in the quality of our volunteers who support this scheme. When seeking a Good Neighbour for you, we will make informed choices based on shared interests, hobbies, locations and various other factors.
In the best interests of our clients, all our volunteers complete a DBS check before starting with the scheme. They are supported by a designated co-ordinator who will also check in with you regularly to ensure you are happy with the support our Good Neighbour Scheme is providing
Your Good Neighbour can also put you in touch with our team at Age UK Isle of Wight for:
•Signposting to vital information and Isle of Wight services
•Information on Age UK Isle of Wight and our other services available to improve their health and wellbeing
What is our Gift of Friendship Programme?
As part of the Good Neighbour Scheme, we also offer our Gift of Friendship service, launched in 2025 with the generous support of the Julia Rausing Trust and Age UK. This sits alongside everything our volunteers already do, with one small addition: working together with you to set some personal goals.
These goals can be as simple as stepping outside for the first time in a while, taking a short walk around the garden, or writing a letter to an old friend. Our volunteers already support people to achieve things like this every day, this service simply gives that a little more focus, celebrating your progress and building your confidence along the way.
Whether you need short-term support or longer-term companionship, we tailor this around you. If you'd like to find out more, please get in touch with our team.
Would you like to help someone achieve their personal goals
I think someone I know needs this service. Can I apply for them?
We welcome you to tell your loved ones about this service, if you think it could benefit them. Please call or email to discuss this further as we may be able to provide you with support and material to aid you to have this conversation with your loved one.
We can only contact individuals if you can assure us they are happy to be contacted.
Want to Volunteer for us?
The award winning Good Neighbour Scheme is a cornerstone of our services. We provide vital assistance, friendship and reliable support for local older people who have no one else to turn to. We have a small network of wonderful volunteers working within every community on the Isle of Wight.
The type of support that the Good Neighbour Scheme provides can differ from day to day. We try to match you with older residents local to you own area for ease. We ask that you provide us with guidance of your availability and when the occasion arises within your availabilty we would call you to ask if you could help with any of the below:
•Telephone befriending; Calling from the comfort of your own home to check in and have a chat with a local resident
• Face to Face befriending; This could be visiting those at their home or outside in the open air.
• Helping with small home tasks; Simple things like changing a lightbulb can be a real help to those who are less able.
• Administration; This could be letter writing or help with paperwork or simply dropping off something to the local postbox for them.
You can choose which elements that you would like to help support you local residents with. Some volunteers however, would prefer to volunteer their support with one specific role, see below for more info about those options.