Do you want to make a difference in your community from the comfort of your own home? Join our team of volunteers who offer a friendly ‘how are you?’ to combat loneliness and isolation.

Trisha still finds she is lonely but really enjoys and looks forward to the calls with Rebecca and, said they are on the phone sometimes for almost an hour chatting

The Involve Telephone Befriending service offers support to people aged 18 years and upwards.

Some people need telephone befrienders due to the impact of the current Covid situation that we are all living through. Others would like to talk about physical and/or emotional challenges that they are experiencing.

How does it work?

As a telephone befriender, you would ring the individual once a week at a time that suits you both, for anywhere between 10 minutes and an hour. We ask that you keep to this regular commitment as we know how crucial this is to individuals.

Cheryl says "having the calls from Vicky cheers her up. We talk for a good hour. She calls every week on the dot and we have a good chat. Tell the manager Vicky is doing a good job. Vicky likes to know the history of Swansea and I can talk for Wales so enjoy telling her all about it”.

You will always receive support catch ups and feedback from staff, so you never need to feel like you are on your own.

We will ensure you have all the information you need to prepare you for the role.

We ask that you have access to a computer/tablet/iPad, etc, as we need to have an online informal chat with you to see why you would like to volunteer - perhaps its experience for a career supporting people or you would like to give something back to your community.

We will also request two references.

This will be followed by a basic induction (which will include some online Safeguarding Training for which you will receive a certificate) and you will also be offered the opportunity to access other training courses if you wish.

We would always look for a referral that would meet your needs. SCVS will reimburse out of pocket expenses.

It’s been an incredible and rewarding experience volunteering for the befriending service. It’s an experience I value highly because it’s helped me understand and gain confidence supporting individuals which is beneficial to me as it’s in line with my career path. The team at SCVS are amazing and always so supportive

Anne

Knowing that you have helped others can also help you with your wellbeing.

"I enjoy chatting to people and if doing what I enjoy helps others then that’s good. I’ve also missed talking to people, so this fills the gaps for me and I’m pleased there is a role for people who are not physically mobile"

To find out more, please contact Involve – Email: [email protected]

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