Case Study: Time to Talk Befriending

1st November 2024

Time to Talk Befriending provides services which are proven to overcome loneliness and social isolation, in a way that honours and respects older people. Since their foundation in 2013 they have supported over 2000 local older people in Brighton and Hove.

Their case study tells the story of Mavis and her befriender Anna, who helped Mavis to find a sense of connection and companionship after bereavement.

Finding a kindred spirit

Mavis cared for her husband, Mike, for 30 years before his death in 2022. During that time they lived a very insular life. Mike’s mobility issues meant they never socialised and they rarely left the house. Mavis had to take early retirement to care for Mike, and as time went on, friendships and family fell away. Adult Social Care originally referred Mike to the Time to Talk Befriending service, which is how they came to know Mavis. When Mike died, Mavis was very isolated and feeling extremely lonely.

After learning more about Mavis’s interests and likes and dislikes, we matched her with a befriending volunteer, Anna.  The match has been a great success:

“Things were lonely before, but now I have Anna.  She visits every Friday morning, and we always have plenty to talk about.  Anna feels like a kindred spirit, she lifts me up and brightens my day. It is especially lovely during school holidays and inset days when Anna brings her little girl along.”

The match has been beneficial for Anna too:

I began volunteering when my daughter started school and I was not working Fridays.  Meeting Mavis added a purpose to my free day.  We are a perfect match – we both love theatre, we love colours and creative outfits, we enjoy laughing and the simple pleasures in life! I admire her crafting skills and could talk for hours about anything and everything.

I moved to the UK from Poland with my husband, and we don’t have any relatives in the UK, so connecting with Mavis and getting to know someone older has been wonderful.  Thank you to Time to Talk Befriending for finding Mavis and putting her on my life path.

Chatting over a coffee

Mavis also loves attending our monthly social get together – Coffee Companions.  It gives her a reason to get out of the house and meet people, and she particularly enjoys chatting with the “lovely” staff and volunteers. The free transport gives her reassurance that she can get to the venue and home again in safety.

Connecting with TTTB has boosted Mavis’s confidence, and she now feels able to access other social opportunities in the community. Mavis is thankful to Time to Talk Befriending, and Anna, for helping her to “get my life back together again”.