b:Friend – Nina: #BefriendingIs a beautiful experience!
27th September 2021
Since inception, b:Friend has created, delivered and evaluated thousands of hours of community social group activity in Doncaster. b:Friend has an effective blueprint for social groups for older adults focusing on venue, budgeting, marketing to the most isolated individuals and session planning methodology over (usually) a 48-week year. Loneliness exists and we’d like to help end it.
David had been referred to Social Prescribing as he required support with finances and was identified as someone suffering from social isolation. The Social Prescriber then referred to b:friend after a conversation with David who expressed an interest in having a 1:1 befriender.
David was contacted by b:friend to discuss the role of a befriender and explain how the process works. David was very interested in having a volunteer call and eventually visit with him at his home as he spent long periods of time alone. David was happy to be called on any day at any time.
An introduction call with a volunteer called Nina was set up for the following week. Nina had signed up to volunteer with b:friend as she was studying counselling at college and wanted to help someone in her local community. After their 1st call both David and Nina reported that they had enjoyed speaking to one another and had already arranged to speak the following week.
Nina called David every Tuesday afternoon from this point on. After a month or so of speaking on the phone Nina contacted b:friend with concerns that David’s telephone wasn’t working properly and their calls were being cut short. Nina was concerned that David didn’t have access to a stable telephone line which would be a major issue in the event of an emergency. A member of the team contacted David and discovered that his telephone was 20 years old but that David wasn’t able to go out and purchase one.
b:friend ordered David one online, to be delivered directly to his home as we were unable to take it in person due to restrictions in place at the time. David received the phone a few days later and phoned Nina straight away to let her know the problem was sorted. Nina then contacted b:friend to say that David had received the phone and was delighted to be able to have a proper conversation with her.
David and Nina continued to speak every week and after just over 4 months of telephone befriending Nina visited David at his home for their first in-person visit! they are now planning their next one.
David is now more connected to his community and is enjoying regular interaction with someone each week. Now restrictions are easing David can look forward to seeing someone regularly and enjoy social interaction. Having a befriender also brought David’s telephone issues to light and we were able to sort the problem for him. Without b:friend and Nina’s involvement David would have continued to struggle with his phone as up to that point he was not speaking to someone on a regular basis.
By: b:Friend
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