Befriending and connection service

Thanks to the generous support of The Grateful Society and The Dolphin Society, this project is funded to continue for at least the coming year.

About the service

Unpaid carers can often feel lonely and isolated because of their caring role.

Through this service, carers aged 55 and over in Bristol and South Gloucestershire can be matched with a friendly volunteer befriender who will provide weekly calls for six weeks. In addition to offering companionship, the service helps connect you to local support and resources. As this is a telephone service, it also means that you do not have to worry about leaving the person you care for. 

After the initial six-week period, carers can also be paired with another carer for ongoing peer support, ensuring continued connection and encouragement. 

To find out more about this service, or to be referred, use the form below or contact CarersLine:

Further help and advice

• Befriending Service (ageuk.org.uk) (South Glos)
• Befriending – Changes Bristol telephone support specifically around mental health (Bristol)
• Befriending Service – Womankind Bristol offers three Befriending Services to women across Bristol & South Glos around mental health issues, isolation and sexual violence (Bristol)
• Befriending Service – Reengage telephone befriending service for LGBT+ aged 75 years + to break isolation & loneliness
• Befriending and social inclusion – WECIL – Supporting Independent Living for disabled adults (18+) with a long-term condition to be teamed up with a telefriender (Bristol & South Gloucestershire)

“I have absolutely loved the service. It has made such a difference to me. Things vary so much from week to week and some weeks I feel like I can manage whilst others feel like they’re falling apart. Just having someone confidential to talk and offload to has made a real difference. It’s been a life saver. I feel very grateful and very fortunate to have received this service.”