Do you enjoy a chat and a cup of tea? Playing board games, doing jigsaw puzzles? Maybe you like to go for a walk or visit a garden centre? Can you spare a few hours each week? As a Community Carer Befriender you will enable Carers to take some time out from their caring role on a regular basis by spending time with the person they look after.

A Carer is someone of any age who provides unpaid support to family or friends who could not manage without this help. Carers often experience stress, loneliness and isolation, they can find it difficult to go out because they cannot leave the person they look after on their own. Volunteers usually spend time at the Carer’ s home for about 2 – 4 hours per week. Sometimes the role may involve taking the cared for person out for a walk or to a day activity.

After you register and have an informal chat, we also carry out a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check as our volunteers work with people who are considered vulnerable. Following this, volunteers attend a half day induction, which helps them to understand more about the VCH Community Befrienders and the support it provides to Carers (training includes Safeguarding, dealing with emergencies, how to befriend and more). We try to make sure that we match each volunteer with someone that shares similar interests, giving the relationship the best opportunity to be beneficial and long lasting.

Our services include:

- Regular Breathers: Giving Carers the opportunity to have some time to them self, building a long-term befriending relationship with the cared for person.

- Breathers for Healthcare: Enabling Carers to attend their own healthcare appointments by sitting with the cared for person while they go.

- Telephone Support: Providing Carers with a listening ear and the opportunity to discuss their caring role in confidence.

- Young Carers Befriending: Giving Young Carers the opportunity to take a break from their caring role.