Welcome as we celebrate UK Befriending Week: 2024: 1st – 7th November
Every year from the 1st to the 7th of November, the UK comes together to celebrate Befriending Week—a time to recognize the incredible impact of befriending services across the country. This special week , highlighted by the UK’s Befriending Network, shines a spotlight on the importance of connection, companionship and community.
What is UK Befriending Week 2024?
Befriending Week is not just an opportunity to celebrate befriending, it’s also a way of raising awareness, and encouraging more people to get involved in befriending. Friends Altogether in Rother is one of many organisations in the UK offering befriending services to help those who may be feeling lonely and isolated. In Rother this particularly applies to older people, those with disabilities, or individuals who may be going through difficult times. The aim of Befriending Week is to recognise the impact of these services and to bring new volunteers and supporters into this important work.
Why Befriending Matters
For many, loneliness is more than an occasional feeling—it can be a daily reality. Loneliness not only affects mental health but can also lead to physical health concerns, with studies linking isolation to conditions like heart disease, depression, and dementia. With our mission to promote health and wellbeing, by providing befriending services, FAiR also aims to help prevent poor health outcomes, offering those at risk the chance to engage in meaningful relationships and connect to their communities.
With our Tilling, Tea and Cake social, our telephone befriending service and in-person befriending services (planned for 2025), we aim to for each friendly chat, shared story or weekly call to help people feel valued and supported, bringing friendship into the lives of those who need it most.
How Befriending Benefits Our Community
Befriending benefits not only those we support but also the volunteers and community as a whole. and in ways many of us might not even have thought of! For instance, befriending can enrich lives through:
- Increased Social Connection: through companionship and consistency, providing regular social contact to reduce feelings of loneliness and improve emotional wellbeing.
- Enhanced Wellbeing for Volunteers: many volunteers report that volunteering brings them joy, purpose, and a sense of connection. Add to this that sense of making a real difference, and befriending can be a truly rewarding experience.
- Strengthened Community Ties: befriending fosters a sense of togetherness, building networks of support that benefit everyone involved.
- Positive Impact on Health: just as isolation and loneliness can have a negative impact on health, the reverse can also be true. So regular social interaction helps reduce the risk of various health issues, promoting longer, healthier lives for those who are befriended.
How You Can Get Involved During Befriending Week
Befriending Week is the perfect time to get involved! There’s plenty online currently about the benefits of befriending and there are also some ways you can support befriending in our community:
- Volunteer as a Befriender: we’re always looking for kind, compassionate people to join our befriending team. Whether you’d like to help out at Tilling, Tea and Cake make weekly phone calls or support community inclusion, we have opportunities for you to make a difference. Find out more here.
- Sharing is caring: share our posts on social media or tell your friends and family about Befriending Week. Raising awareness can help us reach more people who may need support or who would like to volunteer.
- Support Befriending: Our goal is that our services should be free for those who need them. Donations and grants help us continue providing free befriending services, reaching more individuals in need of companionship and ensuring that costs aren’t a barrier for service users. Whether you’re able to contribute a donation or donate your time for fundraising, it’s all a great way to support befriending and help bring friendship to those who need it.
Celebrating Our Volunteers
We also want to take a moment to thank our incredible volunteers, whose dedication, kindness, and generosity make our work possible. Their commitment to Friends Altogether in Rother is changing lives, one conversation at a time and in this UK Befriending Week 2024, we celebrate you. Thank you for making a difference.
