Volunteering role

We are offering telephone befriending to people who are at risk of social isolation as a result of their age, disability, or health condition. A friendly telephone call can make a big difference to someone who spends most of their time alone. 

As a telephone befriender you will be carefully matched with someone who we think would be a good fit. We encourage you to decide between the two of you which day of the week you would like to have the calls, and whether this is a set time or not.

Together Co is Brighton & Hove’s leading social health and loneliness charity. We connect people, places and ideas to create a society where everyone feels like they belong. Through our befriending, social prescribing, and volunteering services, we help people in Brighton & Hove build lasting connections and feel part of their community.

What is Befriending?

Befriending can be diverse in its delivery but shares a common goal of enabling meaningful connections. This connection can be between people with shared or different life experiences. At Together Co, we offer befriending to people in person, over the telephone or via our monthly social groups.

Befriending offers supportive, reliable, and mutually rewarding relationships with volunteer befrienders to people who would otherwise be socially isolated.

We take great care to match volunteers with people they are going to get on with, and we hope that the benefits are two-way. Typically, a volunteer will spend 30-60 minutes each week/fortnight with the person they befriend.

The main thing that our volunteers do is provide people with friendly conversation and a listening ear.

A bit about the role…

All volunteer befrienders are matched with someone based in Brighton and Hove who is experiencing loneliness and isolation. As a volunteer telephone befriender, you will provide companionship and connection through regular phone calls with your match.

Volunteering Activities

There is flexibility within this role for the volunteer and the person you befriend to decide together how you would like to spend your time together and as part of the sign-up process, we will ask your preferences on how you would like to spend your time. Some of our matches have one or two shorter calls a week and some a longer call once a week or once a fortnight. Your befriending coordinator will support you and your match to establish a connection and plan that works for you both.

Training

As part of Together Co’s volunteer community, you will receive ongoing training and support.

All volunteers receive a welcome induction and training session that covers key areas including; Health & Safety, Safeguarding, Professional Boundaries and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. The session is also a great opportunity for you to ask questions and find out more about volunteering with Together Co in general.

Alongside your induction, you will be provided with other training opportunities to support your role.

**Together Co has various training opportunities for Volunteer Befrienders depending on your experience or the needs of the person you are matched with. For example if you’re matched with someone who has dementia, we are able to offer further training around understanding dementia. Other opportunities include Mental Health First Aid, Fall prevention and more.

Additional Paperwork Required: (e.g. Drivers license/ DBS/ Risk Assessments)
The role of a befriender requires an enhanced DBS check

Support

Throughout your volunteering you will have a named colleague who will be your main point of contact at Together Co, you will have regular check ins with them, there is also the opportunity to connect you with fellow volunteers who can share their experience and expertise with you. You will also have access to the Volunteer Experience Lead, who will be an additional point of contact to support your volunteering journey.

Together Co organises a variety of social events throughout the year to connect with volunteers, give thanks for your time and also to provide an opportunity to meet with other volunteers.