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Contact Us
The Old Courts
147 All Saints Road
Newmarket
Suffolk CB8
8HH
t: 01638 608022
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Befriending Service
We offer a befriending service that operates in the Forest Heath area which covers Newmarket, Mildenhall, Brandon and surrounding villages.
Befrienders offer friendship, support, and form a positive one-to-one relationship with people who are in some way isolated and in need of company. This helps to enable people to maintain independent lifestyles, promotes positive mental health, and a greater sense of wellbeing preventing increased isolation.
All befrienders attend a training programme and once trained go to client's homes regularly with the aim of establishing and developing an informal and social relationship. A befriender offers one-to-one support where they decide together what activities they would like to do, for example just chatting, meeting at a coffee shop, or going for a walk.
Referrals are received from agencies across Forest Heath such as Age UK, Community Mental Health Team, GPs, and Occupational Health Workers. Families can also refer a family member to us.
Within the matching process we will try to match a befriender with a client who has similar knowledge, interests, or personality.
Befriending can last for a few months or for years. It's totally up to them both to decide depending on how the relationship develops.
We administer referrals, recruit volunteers, CRB check applicants, match individuals, introduce the clients to the befriender and continue to support both the befriender and the befriendee during the relationship in order that it is still meeting the needs identified.
The Befriending Scheme gives our clients access to more and varied services within their community. It also offers an emotional outlet for clients to share thoughts, feelings, and emotions which might otherwise remain unvoiced, leading to more positive health and well-being. This promotes greater inclusion in community life and ensures that they do not become disenfranchised with the community.