Befriending charity, BEfriend is launching a campaign to recruit volunteers to Linked Minds, its befriending service for people in Hounslow who are experiencing loneliness due to a diagnosed mental health problem.
Volunteers with Linked Minds meet with people who are lonely.
They meet for an hour or two a week to have a chat and strike up a friendship.
A video released highlights the relationship between a volunteer, Shivam, and Roger.
Roger is someone supported by BEfriend and has been matched with Shivam, whose visits are eagerly anticipated. Roger says they “fuel me for the rest of the week”.
Volunteers receive full training when they sign up and have a coordinator, who will work with them throughout their volunteering journey.
The professional nature of this training, and the experience volunteers gain by spending time with someone who has complex mental health needs, means volunteering can be done as part of a placement for some counselling, psychotherapy or psychology courses.
But BEfriend is not just looking for someone who is studying in these fields, anyone with a real interest in helping people can apply to volunteer.
Volunteers work with their coordinator and the befriendee to come up with a plan to help them build a social network and imagine a brighter future. This could include joining a club or taking part in group activities.
