East Dunbartonshire Befriending Service

Recruiting Volunteers

About East Dunbartonshire Befriending Service

East Dunbartonshire Befriending Service is an early intervention pathway to help reduce loneliness and social isolation for adults aged 18+ who reside in the East Dunbartonshire area. Befriending is provided through a variety of methods; One-to-One; Group; Telephone; Lunch Clubs, and events. As a non-profit organisation that relies on volunteers to befriend those who lack social contact. Our volunteers are trained and PVG cleared, ensuring the safeguarding of vulnerable adults. East Dunbartonshire Befriending Service is a small team that is both compassionate and passionate, and strive to create the best possible befriending match for our befriendees and experience joy when witnessing a match grow and flourish, in turn having a positive impact on an individual’s health and quality of life.

Kirkintilloch, Scotland, G66 1NL

Service Eligibility

To benefit from the service, you must be an adult aged 18+, reside in the East Dunbartonshire area and be willing to engage with the befriending relationship. The service can be provided for a certain level of physical and mental health, though we are not trained to provide the service for those in need of professional clinical support. Please call or email for more information regarding this.

Referrals can be made by third-party agencies such as Social Work, General Practitioner, Occupational Therapists. There is also a self-referral route that can be made by the individual or family members.

Information for Volunteers

We ask that our volunteers commit to the minimum of once a fortnight for up to two hours, once trained and have clearance with Disclosure Scotland to work with vulnerable groups.

There are many roles for the volunteers in Befriending which are: One-to-One; Telephone; Lead a Group session, Help at events, and transport people to group sessions and/or events.

Volunteers have full support from their allocated Community Link Worker and will be included in all ongoing training. Our volunteers say they benefit from their role as they feel a sense of purpose and ‘giving back’.

You can browse our website to learn more about the befriending methods and events we do, see the joy on people’s faces, and meet the team and Board.

If volunteering is something you would want to do, you can get more information through the Contact Us, page.

More Information

Age Groups

Young People (18-25), Adults (25-65)

Themes

Older People

Regions

Country: Scotland

Greater Glasgow & Clyde

Other Information

Type of Befriending: Distance befriending including telephone, video call, letter writing or other means, Face to face befriending which takes place in the home or community

Who can refer: Self Referrals Accepted, Friends & Family Referrals Accepted, Professional Referrals Accepted