Coreen – Befriending Volunteer
Befriending Volunteers provide companionship and support to isolated older adults in Waltham Forest through a 1 hr visit once a week.
How long have you been volunteering with Age UK Waltham Forest?
12 years!
What is your volunteer role and what does it involve?
I’m a Befriender, I visit older people in their homes to provide companionship and a person to talk to. Over the years I’ve helped the older people I’ve visited in various different ways whether it’s getting them more support from local services or discussing the week’s news events. I’ve also been Volunteer of the Year twice!
Why did you decide to get involved and volunteer with us?
I was a midwife and retired at 65. I needed to keep busy though and do something to keep my brain working. I had a friend who was volunteering at Age UK Waltham Forest as an IT tutor. She knew they were looking for Befrienders and so I contacted them, attended an Induction and I’ve never looked back! Befriending suits me and I’m always telling people to get involved.
What is one thing you’ve learnt from volunteering with us?
It’s really important to take the older person as they come and have patience and understanding. I love giving something back to the community. I have also seen that lots of people are lonely and that people need to talk.
Contact our Volunteering team
Phone: 020 8558 5512
Email: volunteering@
Office Opening Times: Monday to Friday 9:30am to 4:00pm.