“Befriending is what everybody needs to grow” / Bramber Bakehouse
4th November 2025
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Bramber Bakehouse is an award-winning charity based in Sussex. They support women who have experienced gender-based violence, abuse, exploitation or displacement, to gain the confidence, knowledge and skills they need for a safe, purposeful and independent future.
Their case study shares the story of Arwen and the project’s Baking & Wellbeing and befriending programmes helped her to build a sense of connection and confidence.
Please note that names have been changed to protect the individuals’ privacy.
Arwen is 30 years old and a survivor of domestic abuse. Referred to Bramber Bakehouse via victim support, Arwen was interested in building her local support network and making connections with other women. Arwen also hoped the programme could help build her confidence back up to return to work.
After completing the 8-week Baking & Wellbeing programme, Arwen noted changes in herself, including self-belief, the ability to cope with new situations and people, and a sense of focus and commitment to her goals. Arwen said she enjoyed the creativity of the baking, which gave her a sense of accomplishment and achievement on finishing.
Motivated to build on the sense of connection and achievement gained, Arwen self-referred to our 121 befriending service, sharing “I sometimes feel lonely. It can be hard to make connections regular, so having this booked in will be helpful”.
Arwen’s preference was for a gentle and kind befriender, “someone a little older than me and wiser”, adding “I don’t often have conversation with older women and I find this valuable”.
As a trauma-informed service, we take care during the befriending matching process to facilitate safety and trust. This includes a match introduction meeting with the programme lead, befriendee and befriender before calls begin.
Arwen recalled “the 3 way call at the start was really helpful. I knew you from before and to be introduced to the befriender that way was nice, then she wasn’t a new face when we had our first call”.
During the first session, Arwen said her befriender “very quickly made me feel at ease with her kindness and easy-to-talk-to nature”.
Reflecting on the journey, the befriender said,
“We both thought the match was perfect and were so grateful that you had matched us together. I would like to thank Bramber for putting me in touch with Arwen, who is a really wonderful person…super intelligent, thoughtful, articulate, introspective and funny!”
Gratitude and sentiments echoed by Arwen:
“Thank you for pairing me with my befriender, I felt very lucky to speak to her each week.”
Sharing the most positive and useful aspects of her befriending journey, Arwen highlighted support and encouragement, “somebody who seemed to genuinely care and be interested in me, and to offer inspiring comments or gentle tips for creativity, and somebody who shared in my journey of healing, who reminded me how far I had come and who praised and celebrated my small wins”.
When asked to describe what befriending is, Arwen said, “Befriending is what everybody needs to grow.”
The befriender’s highlight was “a noticeable change in Arwen’s confidence. She often mentioned how grateful she was to Bramber that the befriending conversations meant that she was able to trust more people. I really enjoyed the weekly conversation and it was this regular contact that meant it was possible to see changes and progression in Arwen”.
Arwen’s commitment to connecting with her befriender has supported her confidence and motivation to continue to move forward. During the relationship, Arwen started a part-time college course in beauty and has pursued creative projects. Arwen has self-referred to Bramber Bakehouse’s 1-2-1 mentoring service for continued support with confidence building and exploration of her next steps in volunteering and employment.
The befriender shared,
“Arwen said in our last chat, she is now ready for the next chapter, which she has already started through her college course. I wish her all the best for whatever the future holds!”.
Arwen’s story is a testament to the transformative power of the baking, wellbeing support and community connection provided at Bramber Bakehouse.
This case study is part of Befriending Week (1 – 7 November), the annual campaign to raise awareness about befriending and celebrate social connection. Find out more on our Befriending Week microsite.