BefriendER

The BefriendER project aims to provide companionship & support to vulnerable people throughout East Renfrewshire. Our volunteers work alongside older people and individuals with additional support needs to encourage social & community involvement.

What services do we offer?

The BefriendER project runs two programmes to support vulnerable people: an Older People's Programme and a Supported Volunteering Service

Why befriending/buddying?

For a volunteer, befriending/buddying provides a challenging and rewarding opportunity to make a positive contribution to another person's quality of life & to their local community. It can provide valuable experience for a career in a caring profession.

For those who use our service, the companionship & support of an unpaid volunteer who chooses to spend time with them can go a long way to restoring self-confidence & a sense of worth. This in turn can help their physical & mental well-being.

Who can be a befriender or buddy? 

The personal qualities we look for are reliability, acceptance of others, good communication skills and a non-judgemental attitude. All our volunteers are over 18 and come from a variety of backgrounds. Due to the unsupervised nature of the role, we carry out a Disclosure Scotland check on all our volunteers.

What support is provided?

Volunteers receive full induction training, one-to-one support & opportunities for further personal development. All out-of-pocket expenses are covered by the project & volunteers are covered by Voluntary Action's public & employer's liability insurance.

Where can I get more information?

Click here to find out more about Supported Volunteering.

Click here to find out more about our Older People's Programme.