Could you be a volunteer befriender?

Are you a good listener? Got an ear to lend? If you are able to commit to one or two hours a week this might be the perfect opportunity for you. 

Changes Bristol is recruiting volunteers to support the running of our telephone Befriending Service.

Befriending is an extremely rewarding role in which you will support our members who may not be able to attend online or physical peer support groups . With the ongoing challenges presented by COVID-19, many people are feeling isolated, lonely and in mental health distress without their usual support outlets. Our befrienders provide a safe, judgement free, and empathetic ear at these challenging times, allowing people to talk about their feelings and start making changes for the better.

Changes Bristol provides full training and supervision. After training you will be expected to commit to 1 hour of your time per week, per person you will be supporting, at the same time every week. We need volunteers to be dependable and committed when taking on the role and offer an ongoing relationship for a minimum of six months.

As we operate from a model of peer support, we value lived experiences of mental health challenges, so while this is not a requirement for the role, it can be to your advantage when talking with our members. 

If you can reliably commit to supporting someone, please fill out our Application form  (below) and return it to Befriending@changesbristol.org.uk.

We will process applications and conduct brief telephone interviews with those who meet our criteria ahead of the training.

Befriending Role Description (2021)

Befriender Application Form

The training for Befrienders will run online at various dates in May and June which will be confirmed at interview stage . This will train you on the skills needed for befriending and give you practice in likely scenarios, safeguarding and techniques for providing support. You are not expected to provide advice and counselling in this role and we will provide full training to ensure you feel well equipped before you start your calls. 

Please send completed applications to befriending@changesbristol.org.uk 

You can also contact Matt on 07566789506 with any questions or for an informal chat about the role.