Friends for Life
Friends for LifeAbout Friends for Life
Friends for Life is a Bedford-based charity dedicated to easing loneliness and social isolation for care home residents. We provide one-to-one befrienders for residents who have few or no visitors, offering genuine companionship, conversation, and emotional support. Our Activity Volunteers work closely with care home staff to enrich daily life through music, painting, games, or lending a hand during group activities. Each volunteer is trained in safeguarding, dementia awareness, and infection control, and are DBS-checked.
We believe in nurturing our volunteers just as much as the people they support, and we offer regular contact, coffee mornings, wellbeing checks, a Christmas party, and even the option to take a sabbatical when life gets busy. We have a team of six part-time staff, three supporting volunteers directly, one administrator, one fundraiser, and a general manager.
CVS buildin, Floor 1, 43 Bromham Rd, Bedford,, Bedfordshire MK40 2AA., GB
Service Eligibility
Residents of care homes in the Bedford area who are at greatest risk of social isolation. Referral is through the care home.
Information for Volunteers
Our volunteers offer companionship and friendship to residents who may be feeling lonely or socially isolated in Care homes within Bedford.
To apply, visit our website and complete the form, a member of the team will be in touch for an informal chat and commence the onboarding process. You will be fully trained and we will pay for your DBS check. You can be either a 1 to 1 befriender visiting an individual or activity volunteer offering entertainment or support to the activity co-ordinators in homes.
We hope that you can give 1 hour every 2 weeks or more. We are looking for caring, reliable people who are good listeners, patient, respectful and comfortable chatting with older adults. No experience is needed—just empathy, commitment and a willingness to brighten someone’s day. Full training will be given by our team as will ongoing support throughout your volunteering journey.
More InformationAge Groups
Older Adults (65+)Themes
Care Home Residents, Dementia/Memory loss, Older PeopleRegions
Country: England
Other Regions: East of England
Other Information
Type of Befriending: Face to face befriending which takes place in the home or community
Who can refer: Professional Referrals Accepted