Disability Inclusion Health & Well-being Mental Health

Befriender

Are you a good listener, able to show empathy and understanding as well as being able to spot the positive things in life? This could be the perfect role for you! We are looking for volunteers who have a couple of hours a week to give on a regular basis to make friendly calls to people living with epilepsy who are feeling lonely or isolated.

Skills:

Listening & Communication Resilience & Staying Positive Emotional Intelligence & Empathy

Age: 18 - 30

When: Flexible

Where: Remote

You don’t have to have epilepsy yourself and your check-in calls don’t even have to be about epilepsy, sometimes people want to forget about that for a while and instead have a friendly conversation about what’s on telly, their favourite sport or their hobby.

You might be able to encourage them to get out and make more connections in their community but even if all you do is make someone laugh you have brightened their day and made a difference.

What's involved?

There is a DBS check to ensure we keep everyone safe and some basic training to enable you to get started. You’ll then be ready to start making calls. Calls typically last 30 minutes so depending how much time you have to give you can make a difference to two or three people a week, maybe even more!

Calls can easily be made over the phone or if you prefer over video call it's up to you which you prefer.

The role is flexible so that you can choose a time to volunteer that suits you. We only ask that you stick to that same time and day each week as it makes it easier for the service user to remember when to expect a call. We also ideally want you to be able to volunteer for at least a year so that service users have a consistent experience.

You’ll be fully supported by our befriending team and you’ll get to join our volunteer community with regular volunteer meet-ups. Our volunteer portal makes it easy to connect to other volunteers in your area or with shared interests and to be part of our volunteering community.

What is next?

You will be directed to our website to complete an application form and our Volunteering Team will be in touch to explain next steps!