Volunteer befriender volunteer roles in washington d c, district of columbia

Volunteer Befriender: Home-Start Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea, and Hammersmith & Fulham

Do you have experience with young children and have two hours to spare a week?

Are you a compassionate and reliable person who wants to make a real difference in the lives of families?

Home-Start WKCHF is looking for volunteers to support parents and children who are facing challenges such as isolation, mental health struggles, or financial difficulties.

About the Role

As a Home-Start volunteer, you will provide emotional and practical support to families with young children in their own homes. Your role may involve:                                                                                                                                                     

• Offering friendship, a listening ear and encouragement
• Helping parents build confidence in their parenting skills
• Providing practical support such as accompanying families to appointments, family hubs or groups
• Signposting to additional services and community resources

What We’re Looking For

• A friendly and non-judgmental attitude
• Experience parenting or caring for children
• Good listening and communication skills
• Commitment to volunteering for two hour per week for a minimum of six months
• Willingness to attend free preparation course and undergo a DBS / reference checks

What We Offer

• Free Volunteer Preparation Training Course
• Regular 1-to-1 supervision and ongoing support
• Additional training opportunities to enhance your skills and experience
• Reimbursement of travel and out-of-pocket expenses
• Volunteer Social Events
• A chance to develop new skills and meet like-minded people
• The opportunity to make a lasting impact on families’ lives

Join Us!

Our volunteer befrienders are patient and compassionate, and sign up to a long term commitment needed to get to know service users on a one to one basis. Befriending involves getting to know an individual service user, providing a regular, reliable source of support through phone calls or face to face visits. Befrienders consists of qualities such as: being a good communicator; understanding; friendly and approachable.

The process:

• Call, email or drop down to our office to request a volunteer application form.

• Once the application form is completed, a DBS would need completing or if you already have one, then you’re all set to go!

• Next step would be an induction/training into the charity and our befriending programme

• Once all the checks and training has been completed, you are ready to start volunteering!

• You will be assigned your first client, where you will have an initial meeting to gain a better understanding of the client’s needs and how you could help them. Don’t worry your supervisor will be there at the first visit to introduce you in and settle your nerves.

• That’s it! You are now a volunteer befriender. You will then arrange to see the client yourself and set out any activities you would like to do with them; again, your coordinator will always be at hand for any issues or questions that may arise.

What will you gain?

• Your help will aid many people who are in desperate need of this support and your output will help better your local community!

• Experience in working in the third sector

• An enhanced CV with a good employer reference

• One-to-one client experience

• Transferable skills such as communication; listening; personal development and many more! Which you can list on your CV and LinkedIn profile.

Volunteering at CCAWS gives you life and professional skills you wouldn’t normally gain from working for a private sector or public sector organisation. Your input has a direct result to the person you’re helping and in return, it aids your personal and professional development. If this interests you, then please get in touch with us!

Additional Information:

Hours: Minimum of 2 hours a week – flexible

Location: 62 Whitchurch Road, Cardiff, CF14 3LX

Expenses & Travel: Unpaid. Travel and subsistence costs covered only for meetings with clients.
Start Date: ASAP

Make a Real Difference to Someone’s Life — Become a Volunteer Befriender

Are you a great listener who enjoys connecting with others? Could you spare a little time to brighten someone’s day?

We’re looking for caring, compassionate people to join our Norfolk Befriending Service. You’ll be supporting unpaid carers - people who look after loved ones and may feel isolated or overwhelmed.

Just an hour or two of your time can help someone feel seen, supported, and less alone. Whether it’s a chat over tea, a walk in the park, or a friendly game, your presence can make all the difference.

• Flexible to suit your availability
• Opportunities across Norfolk
• Training, support, and expenses provided

Please note: This is a voluntary role and not paid employment.

What you’ll do
Every match is different, but you might:

• Share a cup of tea and a chat
• Go for a walk together
• Play games or read aloud
• Help with light errands like shopping or dog walking
• Support someone to get out into their community

We’ll match you based on shared interests and your availability.

What you’ll get

• Full training and ongoing support
• Travel expenses reimbursed
• The chance to develop skills and make a lasting difference

What we’re looking for

Kindness, patience, good listening skills, and reliability—no formal experience needed.

Your commitment

We ask for a minimum of six months. You’ll complete our onboarding process, including an Enhanced DBS check.

Interested?

Please get in touch. We'd love to discuss the role with you in more detail. 

We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds and are committed to safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.

Befriend a housebound older person at their home near you in Coventry - any day or time, from 30 min/fortnight. You'll be carefully matched by shared interests & supported.

Befriending an older person in your local area takes just 30-60 minutes, fortnightly or weekly. It fits into your life, and you gain a new friend. You can learn more about Coventry life & history, and feel great that you've made a housebound older person feel less lonely. Volunteers and older people come from all backgrounds. They could take short walks, bake together, watch sport together, discuss literature, learn to crochet...

You will be carefully matched by your shared hobbies and interests, and logistical factors such as shared language, how close to home or work you'd like to be, and when you'd each like to chat. Support is available at any time, should you need it.

Visits can take place during evenings & weekends, though our most popular request is for daytime visits. We also offer telephone befriending. Volunteers must be 18+, but children can come along when accompanied. Dogs are welcome too!

Visits can simply include chat and a cuppa, or can involve going for a short walk together, doing crafts, playing games, gardening together, or watching sport. It's up to you!

***Please note, we are currently advertising two befriending roles. This listing is for in-person befriending in Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

We are also recruiting for remote befrienders (over the phone/videocall). Please see separate advertisement for this role***

Womankind is recruiting reliable and resilient women to join our Volunteer Befriending Service, able to commit to 2-3 daytime hours each week for one year. Befrienders encourage and support vulnerable women to become more independent, empowering them to make their own decisions, find new hobbies and get involved in their local community.

Training:

Befrienders receive 3 in person taught sessions of comprehensive training over one weekend in-person, with an additional 3 online sessions, plus additional home study

between sessions. Our training comes with over 30 years of experience working in women’s mental health, giving volunteers the very best preparation for the role, and a support network of like-minded women.

The Role:

Upon the completion of training, each volunteer is matched with one woman who has experienced childhood abuse, trauma, sexual violence and/or domestic abuse, and will be experiencing mental ill health and social isolation.

As a befriender you would be expected to commit to 2-3 hours on a weekly basis for one year and attend monthly group and individual supervision.

You and your befriendee would start by getting to know each other and gradually, getting out and about. As the relationship develops, you would support and empower her to make changes and develop her confidence in doing everyday things such as getting the bus, joining a class or finding a new hobby.

You would also support her emotionally, using active listening skills and providing her with the space to discuss the issues she is struggling with and be expected to demonstrate a healthy and boundaried relationship.

You:

You will be enthusiastic and interested in helping another woman improve her mental health and wellbeing, be honest and friendly with good communication skills, confident in social situations, non-judgmental, reliable, patient and a good listener.

The befriending role can be challenging and emotionally overwhelming at times, therefore we need befrienders who have adequate life experience and feel emotionally robust and resilient enough to take on the role. We welcome volunteers with personal experience of mental health and other relevant issues but will require you to have at least a one year period of stability and ideally to have received professional help like counselling in your recovery.

Please note, there is very limited availability for women who can only volunteer during the evenings and weekends.

Because of the nature of the role it is only open to women applicants and is exempt under Schedule 9 Part 1 Equalities Act 2010.

At Womankind we recognise that while women share many characteristics and experiences as a result of living within a patriarchal society, women belonging to marginalised groups experience discrimination on multiple fronts. It is really important to us that the women who use our services feel represented amongst our volunteers. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and walks of life, especially from groups which are marginalised and underrepresented in our organisation, such as working class women and Black and Minoritised women.

What Past Befrienders Say:

“Through doing the befriending training, I have been able to broaden my knowledge of mental health services in the Bristol area, inspiring my future ambitions.”

“The training has given me the toolkit I need to be a good listener and to motivate my befriendee to live her best life and move on from her past. I can't recommend Womankind enough!”

“Womankind is doing amazing and essential work for women and I am incredibly proud to have the opportunity to be involved.”

Are you a good listener? Do you enjoy meeting new people? Are you sociable with good interpersonal skills? Could you support people living with a challenging terminal illness? 

Our Association Visitor role might be the right role for you. 

We ask for a few hours each week to visit people in their own homes or to keep in touch by phone, email, video, text or WhatsApp

By becoming an Association Visitor and donating your time, energy and skills, you can make a real difference to the lives of people affected by Motor Neurone Disease. 

The MND Association was founded in 1979. Our mission is to improve care and support for people with MND, their families and carers. We also fund and promote research that leads to new understanding and treatments and brings us closer to a cure for MND. The Association also campaigns and raises awareness so the needs of people with MND, and everyone who cares for them, are recognised, and addressed by wider society.

“I am extremely honoured to be a volunteer for the MND Association. The most rewarding thing is knowing that I have helped people to access the services, equipment and support they need.” Jo-Ann, Volunteer

We are delighted to have secured funding to deliver a 24-month befriending programme. This exciting opportunity will support the delivery of our ambitious five-year strategy by:

- Promoting Independence - ensuring more older people can stay independent for longer

- Providing Connection - enabling friendship and social connection for older People

The befriending service will be provided through 2 different strands which aim to support older people in different ways based on the needs identified via an assessment. Clients will enter the strand that is most appropriate to their needs.

- Strand A: We will offer a local face-to-face service of up to 1 hour for 26 weeks. Strand A provision would be appropriate for older people who have experienced a recent life event, such as a hospital admission, bereavement or home move and who need time limited support and guidance to connect with suitable services and activities.

- Strands B: We will offer ongoing support either face-to- face of up to 1 hour or by telephone between 30 minutes and 1 hour. Strand B provision is for older people leaving Strand A that require long term support or for those who are identified as needing ongoing face-to-face or local telephone befriending support on entry to the programme. As a befriender you will be asked to select your type of volunteering preference.

Purpose of Role 

• Provide companionship, emotional support, and a listening ear to people who may be lonely or isolated. 

• Provide monthly reports to the Volunteer Manager on your client. 

Key tasks 

• Make a regular weekly visit or phone call to a client who has been matched to you, at a time suitable to the older person.

• Provide conversation and company. 

• Spend time chatting with the client, talking with them about their current and past life experiences. 

• Report any emerging issues or concerns that the older person has agreed to be shared with us such as safeguarding issues or a change in personal circumstance or health. 

• Make the client aware of any other services across AUKEL they may benefit from. 

• Maintain records of client contact and send this to the Volunteer Manager on a monthly basis. 

• Regularly meet with your befriending peers and supervisor, to share experiences, get support and reflect. 

Skills and attributes 

• Understanding loneliness and social isolation. 

• Good communication skills with a friendly approachable manner. 

• Keen on building a strong befriending relationship. 

• A desire to learn more about an individual and their interests and their past, and life history. 

• Consistency and reliability.

• Understanding of Confidentiality. 

• Understanding of and empathy with the needs of older people. 

• Patience and Sensitivity. 

• Confidence to deal with emergencies. 

• Record keeping.

• Basic IT skills. 

Support Provided 

• You will be inducted in cohorts with other volunteers. 

• Training for the role is provided including Safeguarding, Making Every Contact Count, Sexual Harassment and Building a positive volunteering experience and other more. 

• Ongoing support including regular supervision by the Volunteer Manager. 

• Goup supervision with other befrienders. Groups supervision is a safe place where you can share experiences, challenges, and successes, process emotion and learn from each other. 

• Reimbursement of agreed expenses.

• Access to an AGE UK Discount portal provided by Aon.  

• Monthly volunteer newsletter 

We hold an annual Volunteer Award event where we celebrate and recognise the contribution of our Volunteers! 

Benefits 

• Making a Difference: Volunteering allows you to have a tangible impact on someone's life, particularly those in vulnerable situations. Helping older people can provide a strong sense of accomplishment and purpose. 

• Emotional Rewards 

• Intergenerational Connections 

• Learning and Skill Development 

• Enhancing Career Prospects 

• Building Empathy and Compassion 

• Giving Back to the Community 

• Social and celebration events 

Commitment 

• We expect a minimum of 6 months commitment but would ideally prefer more of a longer-term commitment.

• Weekly commitment is between 30 minutes to 1 hour for client plus one/two hours monthly for reporting. 

We are delighted to have secured funding to deliver a 24-month befriending programme. This exciting opportunity will support the delivery of our ambitious five-year strategy by: 

• Promoting Independence - ensuring more older people can stay independent for longer 

• Providing Connection - enabling friendship and social connection for olderPeople 

The befriending service will be provided through 2 different strands which aim to support older people in different ways based on the needs identified via an assessment. 

Clients will enter the strand that is most appropriate to their needs.

• Strand A: We will offer a local face-to-face service of up to 1 hour for 26 weeks. Strand A provision would be appropriate for older people who have experienced a recent life event, such as a hospital admission, bereavement or home move and who need time limited support and guidance to connect with suitable services and activities.

• Strands B: We will offer ongoing support either face-to- face of up to 1hour or by telephone between 30 minutes and 1 hour. Strand B provision is for older people leaving Strand A that require long term support or for those who are identified as needing ongoing face-to-face or local telephone befriending support on entry to theprogramme. 

Purpose of Role 

• Arrange and carry out assessment for new service users within the befriending service using the Guided Conversation approach, in order to gather appropriate information about the older person, their needs, and what a befriender will be expected (and not expected) to do. 

• Ensure that the person wants a befriender, has given consent, confidentiality has been discussed, and the person is able and willing to join the service. 

• Ensure that volunteers and service users are well-matched and that the service runs safely, effectively, and in line with organisational standards. 

Key Tasks 

• Carry out a needs assessment for new service users referred to the befriending service. It could be a telephone-based discussion or review of a referral form or a home visit. 

• Gather key information such as visit preferences, activity interests, potential risks, and any unmet needs. 

• Complete assessment forms and input information into the online database 

• Refer service users to other services where appropriate 

• Match service users with suitable volunteer befrienders 

• Introduce befriender and service user, and carry out a 6-week review with both parties 

• Maintain accurate records and liaise with staff throughout the process 

Skills and attributes Required 

• Good communication skills with a friendly approachable manner. 

• Confident using IT 

• Empathy and understanding of older people. 

• Understanding loneliness and social isolation. 

• Consistency and reliability.

• Understanding of Confidentiality. 

• Understanding of and empathy with the needs of older people. 

• Patience and Sensitivity. 

• Confidence to deal with emergencies. 

• Record keeping.

• Ideal for students studying Health & Social Care, though open to all. 

Support Provided 

• You will be inducted in cohorts with other volunteers. 

• Training for the role is provided including Safeguarding, Making Every Contact Count, Sexual Harassment and Building a positive volunteering experience and other more. 

• Ongoing support including regular supervision by the Volunteer Manager. 

• Goup supervision with other volunteers. Groups supervision is a safe place where you can share experiences, challenges, and successes, process emotion and learn from each other. 

• Reimbursement of agreed expenses.

• Access to an AGE UK Discount portal provided by Aon.  

• Monthly volunteer newsletter. 

• We hold an annual Volunteer Award event where we celebrate and recognise the contribution of our Volunteers! 

• Access to in-house training opportunities 

• You will receive supervision and support throughout your course placement from your named supervisor 

Benefits 

• Make a Real Difference: Have a direct impact on the lives of Making a Difference: Volunteering allows you to have a tangible impact on someone's life, particularly those in vulnerable situations. Helping older people can provide a strong sense of accomplishment and purpose. 

• Emotional Rewards 

• Intergenerational Connections 

• Learning and Skill Development 

• Enhancing Career Prospects 

• Building Empathy and Compassion 

• Giving Back to the Community 

• Social and celebration events 

• Placement Support: Ideal for Health & Social Care students—gain placement hours with supervision and guidance from a named supervisor 

• Insight into Care Needs. 

Commitment 

• We expect a minimum of 6 months commitment but would ideally prefer more of a longer-term commitment.

• Weekly commitment 2 to 3 hours.

Volunteer Befrienders needed now in Cardiff and the Vale

Age Connects Cardiff and the Vale are reaching out to find new volunteers to help our older clients stay in contact with the outside world. Many older people remain alone at home for long periods of time, with only the TV for company. You can get out into your community and help an older person combat loneliness and isolation.

No experience is necessary. If you could spare just an hour a week to support an older person and bring some cheer into their lives, we would love to hear from you.

You just need to have good communication skills, be a good listener and enjoy having a chat.

Opportunities across Cardiff and the Vale, South Wales

Volunteer today to support older people in Cardiff and the Vale. Volunteers need to be aged 18 + and make a minimum commitment of 6 months..

Would you like to brighten someone’s day?

We are looking for people aged 18 and over who are friendly, and who like to listen, to become volunteer telephone befrienders with Staying Well.

If you have a little time each week to brighten someone’s day this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

How much time does it take?

We only ask you to make one phone call a week that is between 30-60 minutes long. We ask you to commit to ring for 6 months.

What are useful befriending skills to have?

Happy to Listen
A Good Sense of Humour
Patience
Happy to Chat
Empathetic
Flexible
Reliable and Punctual
Able to Maintain Confidentiality
Non-Judgemental

PLEASE NOTE YOU WILL NEED TO BE BASED IN CALDERDALE IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS VOLUNTEER ROLE. 

Have people ever said you're a great listener, or that your calm presence is comforting?

Marie Curie is looking for kind-hearted, everyday people to join our Companion Team as a befriender volunteer within their own local communities across Bournemouth, offering support to those living with a terminal diagnosis.

Make a meaningful difference and visit someone regularly in their home, have a chat, be a friendly face and offer support simply by being there.

What you’ll be doing

• Offer conversation and listen
• Help someone express what truly matters to them
• Pass along helpful information
• Offer kindness and reassurance to family members or carers before and after bereavement

Why you’d be a wonderful fit:

• Patient and a thoughtful listener
• Kind and courteous towards others
• Calm and grounded during sensitive moments
• Happy to give 3 hours a week to make a difference
• Confident using email and completing brief visit notes

What you can expect:

• Encouragement and support every step of the way
• Genuine appreciation for your time
• Travel and expenses reimbursed monthly
• Access to exclusive discounts on retail, travel, entertainment, and more
• Peer Support sessions

Apply now or capture more information by clicking on the blue "Redirect to recruiter" button

Ref: 6233

Our core Befriending Project supports people who are socially isolated in Ealing and Hounslow. They may have a physical or sensory disability, or they may have mild dementia, and are sometimes housebound.

This is an opportunity to become a Befriender.

On successful completion of the training, Befrienders are matched with someone who lives close to them.

They make a weekly 1-2 hour visit to the client's home, where they might stay in and chat over a cup of tea or, where possible, go out for a walk together, visit a cafe or undertake a local activity.

These visits make such a difference for the client, but volunteering with BEfriend not only enriches the lives of those who are isolated, it also offers immense personal rewards.

As a Befriender, you’ll get to know inspirational people with fascinating stories, develop new skills and be part of a supportive team that values compassion and connection.

Ever been told you have a calming presence or you're great at putting individuals at ease?

Join as a volunteer friend at the QE Hospital in Birmingham. You don’t need a medical background or all the answers – just a kind heart, a listening ear and a little time to give. Be there when it matters and join our Companion Volunteer Team

What you’ll do: 

• Visit different patients at QE Birmingham Hospital
• Offer thoughtful and light-hearted conversation
• Create a sense of calm over a cup of tea/coffee
• Listen to stories, memories, or just talk about the everyday

You’d be a great fit if you’re:

• Patient and non-judgmental
• Emotionally steady in sensitive moments
• Able to commit to 3 hours a week
• Comfortable with email and completing a brief visit report
• Respectful of boundaries and confidentiality

What you’ll gain:

• A deep sense of purpose
• Thorough training and continued support
• A friendly network of volunteers
• Recognition for your time
• Expenses reimbursed monthly

Kindness doesn’t have to be big to be life changing.

Need more information?

If have questions about this opportunity or just want to understand what it's all about before applying, please get in touch.

Chatterbox Befrienders offer one-to-one telephone support and will call a client once a week offering companionship and a listening ear for an individual who might otherwise go unheard. Chatterbox volunteers befriend a variety of people including carers, socially isolated individuals who are struggling with loneliness, people with ill health and those that 
have been bereaved. 

THIS ROLE COULD BE FOR YOU IF:

- Would like to make a real difference in someone’s life

- Want to challenge loneliness and can commit to a weekly phone call

- Are a good listener

- Are empathetic, patient and of a caring nature

- Have good verbal and inter-personal communication skills

- Recognise the importance of confidentiality and can uphold this in practice

- Are committed to inclusion and treating people with dignity and respect

REQUIREMENTS OF A BEFRIENDER INCLUDE:

- Calling your client once a week for a chat of up to 45 minutes; this is a 26 week initial commitment, at the end of which each client’s needs are reviewed

- Completing an online call log record promptly after each phone call

- Ensuring immediate contact with the Chatterbox Coordinators if you feel that the client might be a risk to themselves or others

- Liaising with the Chatterbox Coordinator on a regular basis regarding the service, as well as discussing personal learning and development needs

- Respecting service standards, appropriate boundaries and recognising the range of policies and procedures that impact on befriending vulnerable adults

BENEFITS OF THE ROLE MAY INCLUDE:

- Knowing you are making a difference to someone’s life

- Joining the Omega Team who are taking action against loneliness and isolation

- An opportunity to enhance your CV or learn new skills

- An opportunity to engage with your community

SUPPORT AND TRAINING PROVIDED:

- Omega Chatterbox induction program

- Safeguarding training

- Ongoing support from Chatterbox Coordinators for all questions, concerns, and support

- Out of pocket expenses are reimbursed and a mobile phone can be provided if appropriate

- Monthly Befriender group support meetings via the Zoom app

LOCATION OF THE ROLE:

- Home-based

WHEN ARE YOU NEEDED:

- Provided on enquiry

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required for this role. If you have a criminal record this does not automatically prevent you from being considered as an Omega Chatterbox Befriender. We will take into account the nature of the offence, when it happened and whether it is relevant to the voluntary role. If you are shortlisted, this will be discussed with you during the recruitment process.