Good Neighbours has supported the wellbeing of over 3000 isolated elderly people in the city, by matching them with volunteer befrienders and meeting their wider needs (e.g. supporting nervous older people to attend community groups, and exploring their unmet medical, emotional, financial, practical needs). Recently we helped Maryam* with getting a laptop. She is bereaved, housebound & speaks limited English, and is matched to a befriender & coordinator who speak her language. We showed Maryam* how to contact friends abroad. Maryam is now less isolated, and can better manage her money independently.

We have 350 active clients supported weekly by trained, safely-recruited volunteers and five local coordinators. 110 new referrals are received every quarter. Each client benefits from a regular 1:1 visit or phone call, to build a stable relationship with a like-minded individual. Volunteers can offer low-level practical help, and have even saved lives e.g. recently intervening when one older person had a stroke. We have also set up on-request community support groups for lonely older men struggling with mental health, and burned-out carers of people with dementia.

Assessing new referrals, recruiting new volunteers and setting up new 1:1 befriending relationships (safely and with care) are the most time-consuming aspects of our work, yet they are essential for success. Funding will allow us to keep employing our trained coordinators, who continue forming new friendships; these friendships are efficient, benefiting the older people’s wellbeing with far less staff involvement once the initial needs assessment and holistic care has been completed. We would like the project to continue impacting more older vulnerable people’s wellbeing, building a strong local community.

*Hetty joined in December 2023, following a dementia diagnosis. We assessed her needs, seeing she needed befriending and support to attend specific local groups she didn’t yet know about. We recruited volunteer befriender Rosie as they share a love of crafts. Rosie gives Hetty in-person support, to build up her confidence in interacting with others. Hetty has gone from being reclusive to cheerful & outgoing. She is now attending a local elders group twice a week and Rosie visits weekly. They plan days out in good weather. As Hetty’s confidence grows, she may no longer need befriending.