Bellingham Linking Lives is a charitable scheme which aims to help reduce loneliness and social isolation for people living in Bellingham. We run two projects, a home visiting befriending service for older adults, and a Drop-In session on a Friday at Christ Church which is open to all.
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Befriending
Bellingham Linking Lives is a befriending service aimed at older adults who find themselves requiring some extra friendship and support, and this is provided through weekly home visits. We match volunteers with those who are referred to us and all volunteers are carefully selected, trained and vetted.
If you would like to volunteer to become a Befriender please contact the coordinator on
07918 981 549 or [email protected]
Community Drop-In Fridays
Drop-in community space offering refreshments, games, crafts, exercise, digital support and local info. FREE but donations are welcome.
10am-12pm Bellingham Digital Hub
12:30pm Two-course hot lunch
1:30-4pm Help Desk (support and signposting)
2:30-4:30pm Digital support drop-in
3:15-4:15pm Gentle Exercise, suitable for all
Referrals
**Our home befriending service is currently at capacity and we have taken the decision to temporarily suspend referrals for people in need of befriending. We are still open for expressions of interest in volunteering**
We accept referrals from statutory organisations such as social workers, social prescribers, GP’s and community health practitioners, charities, friends and family members or self-referrals.
Our service should be requested with the agreement of the person concerned. We regret that we may be unable to arrange visits where there are health conditions that impact significantly on a person’s ability to hold a conversation.
Our service is available to older adults living within Bellingham. For further details please contact us on 07918 981549.
Volunteer With Us
The role of a volunteer is to carry out a regular home visit or telephone call to an allocated ‘scheme member’ usually for one hour every one or two weeks. This contact is often a lifeline for those who are unable to leave their home very often, and who have little contact with others in the community.
When you volunteer to become a befriender, the coordinator will meet you to discuss your application. You will be asked for 2 references, then we will arrange a DBS check for you and provide training to ensure you feel confident in your role. We do our best to match you to a Link Friend who we think will be compatible and then the coordinator introduces you. We continue to offer support to you both. You will arrange with you Link Friend to meet up weekly or fortnightly for about an hour, usually in the Link Friend’s home. You might also go out somewhere together for a walk, coffee, or to an activity
The majority of our volunteers report that they have an extremely positive experience within their role and that they benefit from their experience as much as their allocated friend. We are keen to build on this mutual benefit and encourage all volunteers to look for opportunities to celebrate and honour the achievements and experiences of scheme members.
If you would like to apply to become a volunteer, please get in touch with us using the form below or contact the coordinator on 07918 981 549 or [email protected]
For more details about our projects, please see Bellingham Linking Lives – Linking Lives UK