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Quality in Befriending Award

The Quality in Befriending Award is the only award in the UK specifically tailored for befriending services and is valued by referrers, befrienders, commissioners, and funders. Developed by Befriending Networks in consultation with member organisations and experts in the field of befriending, the award launched in 2010 and was revised and updated in 2021.

The Award is open to services offering befriending of all kinds, supporting everyone from children and young people to older adults. Whether you offer telephone, group, or one-to-one befriending, the Quality Award provides you with the opportunity to review and improve your service.

There are two different levels of Quality Award that an organisation can aim towards. The award is assessed through a series of indicators, with the option for an organisation to upgrade its standard award to Excellence by successfully meeting additional requirements.

Looking for a quality assured befriending service? Browse our Quality Database.

Why complete the Quality Award?

Organisations who have successfully completed the Quality Award enjoy a range of benefits, including:

  • Increased confidence in the organisation from potential referrers, befriendees and befrienders, as well as funders, commissioners and other stakeholders.
  • The chance to review and reflect upon all aspects of the service.
  • An audit of the organisation’s policies and suggestions on how the quality of the befriending service can be improved.
  • A certificate and the use of the Quality Award logo, as well as inclusion in our online Quality Database.

How long does the Award last?

Once accredited, your service will hold the Quality Award for three years.

You will be invited to apply for reaccreditation in years 3 and 6 by providing evidence to satisfy the reaccreditation indicators and retain Quality Award status.

After nine years, you will be required to complete the full accreditation process again to retain your Quality Award.

Hear from current Award holders…

  • We recommend the Award as it has given us confidence in the quality and processes of our befriending service, a morale booster for staff and volunteers, and confidence when promoting the service to partners and funders. Befriending Networks were brilliant from start to finish.

    Community Together CIC

  • Being quality assured means that our service is fully aligned with Quality in Befriending guidelines and allows us to provide a best practice service to our clients and volunteers. It has also been hugely beneficial for funding opportunities. The Quality Award demonstrates that we are robust, effective, and aligned with a best-practice delivery framework.

    London Irish Centre

  • It’s always useful to review your service, update and tighten processes where needed, and have the benefit of expertise and advice from a different perspective. As a bonus, it’s great to be able to use the Quality Award logo, which is a quick and straight-forward way to demonstrate you meet a required level of practice.

    INtegr8 Befriending Service

  • Having a nationally recognised accreditation is essential to further development and obtaining future funding and partners. It has been useful in our organisation’s efforts to obtain support and care contracts where this sort of service is highly regarded and beneficial to overall care and support.

    SeAscape

Interested in the Quality Award?

Find out more about what’s involved.

Quality Award Holders

Aberlour – Scotland’s Children’s Charity

    Our purpose Aberlour Children’s Charity helps disadvantaged children and families in Scotland have a brighter future. Our Vision Not all children are born with an equal chance.  We will work…
    View
    Quality in Befriending Award

    Action in Mind (AiM)

      Action in Mind is the leading local mental health charity predominantly working across the Stirling Council area, supporting better mental health for everyone.We provide person-centred, outcome focused services for people…
      View
      Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

      Age UK (national)

        The Age UK Telephone Friendship service matches older isolated people to volunteers with mutual interests for a weekly 30 minute call, to help combat loneliness and social isolation.
        View
        Quality in Befriending Award

        Age UK Merton

          Merton Befriending Service is a collaboration with Wimbledon Guild in Merton working together to deliver a high quality befriending service for isolated older people. We offer a free face to…
          View
          Quality in Befriending Award

          Befriend a Child

            At Befriend a Child we support children and young people growing up in difficult life circumstances across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to achieve their full potential and develop into confident and…
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            Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

            Befriend Motherwell

              What Befriend Motherwell can offer you: One to One Matches. You will be matched with a volunteer who will visit you once per week for 1 to 2 hours. At…
              View
              Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

              Befrienders Highland

                We are a small voluntary organisation working to improve the lives of people who are lonely and isolated and have experience of mental ill health; memory loss and unpaid adult…
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                Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

                Befrienders: Argyll and Bute

                  Befrienders SCIO provides emotional and social support to children and young people aged 6-18, living in Argyll and Bute who are affected by adversity or social isolation.
                  View
                  Quality in Befriending Award

                  Befriending Caithness

                    Befriending Caithness is a befriending service which offers isolated adults aged 40 and upwards, in Caithness a chance to meet a friendly face on a weekly basis. Referrals to the…
                    View
                    Quality in Befriending Award

                    Bfriend (registered South Ayrshire Befriending Project)

                    • Bfriend

                    Bfriend is based in Ayr and provides a befriending service for young people aged between 8 to 18 years old with social or emotional support needs, living within South Ayrshire….
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                    Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

                    Bridgend Association of Voluntary Organisations

                    • Community Companions

                    Community Companions befriending project: We are a free of charge, confidential and non-judgemental befriending project, giving high quality support to people living in Bridgend County Borough. Coordinated by BAVO, we…
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                    Quality in Befriending Award

                    CACE

                      CACE has been running for over 30 years, providing Cumbernauld, Kilsyth, Croy and surrounding villages with much needed support for the elderly and Isolated. We run a variety of different…
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                      Quality in Befriending Award

                      Changes

                      • Befriending East Lothian – Well Connected

                      Our Befriending service Well Connected helps individuals who may be struggling with low social contact, loneliness, isolation and low mental health. Volunteering as a Befriender means you can support someone…
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                      Quality in Befriending Award

                      Community Together CIC

                        Community Together CIC is a not for profit organisation providing a holistic set of services specialising in: Providing a 7 Day per week Telephone Support Service Befriending: Telephone, Face to…
                        View
                        Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

                        Dumfries & Galloway Befriending Project

                          Dumfries & Galloway Befriending Project recruits, trains and supports adult volunteers to befriend young people (aged 8 – 18 years) on a one-to-one basis. Our service supports young people who…
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                          Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

                          Epilepsy Connections

                            We offer one-to-one in person befriending. Our fully trained befrienders are matched up to meet with someone to meet fortnightly to spend some fun social time together. Living with epilepsy…
                            View
                            Quality in Befriending Award

                            Fairway Fife

                              Fairway Fife is a Peer Mentoring Charity involving people with learning disabilities from 16 years of age. Our aim is to encourage and support access to social and leisure facilities…
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                              Quality in Befriending Award

                              Home Link Family Support

                                Volunteer to support families with pre-school children, at home, and provide practical and emotional support, we actively encourage family learning, so all children in their early years have the best…
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                                Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

                                Kent Coast Volunteering

                                • Good Neighbours Service

                                The Kent Coast Volunteering Good Neighbours Service is a befriending service for older people (over 60) living in the Thanet, Dover and Folkestone & Hythe districts. We provide volunteers of…
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                                Quality in Befriending Award

                                Kincardine & Deeside Befriending

                                  Kincardine & Deeside Befriending recruits, trains and supports volunteer befrienders who are matched with isolated & lonely older people (55+) living independently in their own homes to provide social contact.
                                  View
                                  Quality in Befriending Award

                                  Kingdom Abuse Survivors Project

                                  • KASP Befriending

                                  Kingdom Abuse Survivor Project (KASP) is a registered Scottish charity and a company limited by guarantee with more than 25 years’ experience of providing services to women and men who…
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                                  Quality in Befriending Award

                                  Kingston Carers Network

                                    The Young Carers Project which is part of the Kingston Carers Network run a mentoring programme for young carers aged 10 – 18 years old in the London borough of…
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                                    Quality in Mentoring Excellence Award

                                    Le Cheile Mentoring

                                      Le Cheile Mentoring is a national, volunteer mentoring and family support service in Ireland, which works with young people and their families, where the young person is involved in or…
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                                      Quality in Mentoring Excellence Award

                                      LEAP Project

                                        LEAP works in a number of communities within the South Lanarkshire area providing a free befriending and handyperson service, and activities and classes, to people aged 50 and over who…
                                        View
                                        Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

                                        Linking Lives Eastbourne

                                          Linking Lives Eastbourne is a befriending scheme for people over the age of 65 who are living alone, connecting them with volunteers who offer friendship through visiting, telephone chats or…
                                          View
                                          Quality in Befriending Award

                                          London Irish Centre

                                            Our Befriending Service provides support to Irish community members over 55 years, who are experiencing loneliness/isolation and live in London. We deliver a blended approach offering both telephone and in…
                                            View
                                            Quality in Befriending Award

                                            MOSS – Move On Support Service

                                              The Move On Support Service provides social and emotional support to young people aged 16-25 who have previously been affected by homelessness and who are living in the City of…
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                                              Quality in Befriending Award

                                              Omega, Ending Isolation/Ending Loneliness

                                              • Chatterbox, Letterbox

                                              Omega Ending Isolation, Ending Loneliness, a charity dedicated to reducing social isolation and loneliness for all adults. We offer Chatterbox, a free telephone befriending service and Letterbox, a free pen-pal…
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                                              Quality in Befriending Award

                                              Seascape Reconnect with Hope

                                                We assist people to build positive connections in their community and combat social isolation and loneliness, facilitating group befriending sessions within local communities across South Ayrshire as well as offering…
                                                View
                                                Quality in Befriending Award

                                                Sky

                                                • Time to Care

                                                • Private

                                                A friendly, weekly conversation, with a kind listening ear. One on one calls with the same person every week aimed at lifting people out of isolation and helping those experiencing…
                                                View
                                                Quality in Befriending Award

                                                South Derbyshire CVS

                                                • SDCVS Connect Befriending Service

                                                SDCVS Connect Befriending Service is a free service funded by Derbyshire County Council to deliver a vital lifeline to South Derbyshire residents who are 18 years + and feeling lonely…
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                                                Quality in Befriending Award

                                                Space @the Broomhouse Hub

                                                • Space for Youth Befriending

                                                Space for Youth Befriending provides children and young people aged 5 – 16 years, living citywide in Edinburgh with a volunteer befriender once a week for 2 to 3 hours…
                                                View
                                                Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

                                                St Barnabas Hospice

                                                • Community Companions

                                                Befriending service for patients of St Barnabas House – providing companionship to help relieve isolation or boredom- assist with taking a person out for practical or social reasons- provide company…
                                                View
                                                Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

                                                STAR Project

                                                  STAR Project is an award winning community organisation, delivering sustainable and positive social outcomes in the North End of Paisley and beyond. Established in 1999, employing a person centred approach…
                                                  View
                                                  Quality in Befriending Award

                                                  SWAN Women’s Centre

                                                  • Befriending Service

                                                  We are a women and girls centre based in Sefton, Liverpool, offering face to face and telephone online befriending support for 12 months for women over 18 years old. The…
                                                  View
                                                  Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

                                                  The Welcoming Association

                                                    The Welcoming supports New Scots (refugees, asylum seekers and migrants) in Edinburgh by providing a range of services, including: English language classes, employability support, home energy advice, a community fridge,…
                                                    View
                                                    Quality in Befriending Award

                                                    Time to Talk Befriending

                                                      We are a relationship centered, excellence accredited, befriending service based in Sussex. We specialise in supporting older people to overcome loneliness through a range of activities from one-to-one befriending, group…
                                                      View
                                                      Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

                                                      Together Co

                                                      • Together Co Befriending

                                                      We match people for a range of befriending services to help people to connect with other people and their community.  We believe that in a city of nearly 300,000, no…
                                                      View
                                                      Quality in Befriending Award

                                                      Trust Befriending & Supportive Communities Befriending

                                                        Our befriending projects aim to make and build connections between people in their community, reduce social isolation and improve wellbeing. Our project does this by offering a source of support…
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                                                        Quality in Befriending Award

                                                        Voluntary Action Shetland – Shetland Befriending Scheme

                                                          Shetland Befriending Scheme offers befriending on a 1:1 basis to children from aged 7 years, young people and adults aged 16+ years who need support to engage in the community…
                                                          View
                                                          Quality in Befriending Award

                                                          Volunteer Centre Greenwich

                                                          • Supported Volunteering Project and Emotional and Well Being Project

                                                          BefriendingThe Emotional Support and Wellbeing Project provides support to the residents of Greenwich who are lonely or isolated. This project has been a lifeline to many residents and continues to…
                                                          View
                                                          Quality in Mentoring Award

                                                          West Lothian Youth Action Project

                                                          • INtegr8 Befriending Service

                                                          Befriending service for young people aged 10-21 with things going on in their lives which affect mental health wellbeing. Issues are around confidence & self-esteem & the things which impact…
                                                          View
                                                          Quality in Befriending Excellence Award

                                                          West Norfolk Befriending

                                                            West Norfolk befriending works to decrease isolation among older people in West Norfolk. Many have become isolated due to a change in physical condition or as they have become an…
                                                            View
                                                            Quality in Befriending Award

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