Good Practice Guides updated for 2025
2nd April 2025
Our Good Practice Guides are your go-to resource for all things befriending. Every year, we update them with the latest information so that you know you’re continuing to deliver a high quality befriending service. Here are the updates for 2025:
- Member case studies have been updated to show who is an active member and who is a past member.
- External links have been updated and all Befriending Networks links have been updated to our current website and resources, removing all historic data and dead links.
- We’ve formatted to our current branding and graphics.
- Being a Befriender has a new section about mental wellbeing for befrienders.
Our Good Practice Guides
We have three Good Practice Guides which provide the essential information you need to work in befriending.
- Starting a Befriending Service: A 19-page introductory guide for those setting up a befriending service, including models of befriending, finding the right team and service users and developing funding streams.
- Members Only Running a Befriending Service: A 77-page essential reference and resource for running a befriending service, including governance; capacity management; volunteer recruitment, training and management; support and supervision; matching and much more. Includes a list of suggested policies and procedures and checklists.
- Members Only Being a Befriender: A handy 19-page guide to help those interested in volunteering as a befriender understand how the befriending process works, their roles and responsibilities and how they will be supported in their befriending journey.