MHA

MHA is an award-winning charity that inspires the best care and support at every stage in later life. Our aim is to eliminate isolation and loneliness among older people by connecting them in communities that care, allowing them to live later life well.

Telephone Befriending can help to bring the outside world in for an older person who is feeling lonely or isolated. Our carefully selected telephone befriending matches are designed to ensure that both our members and volunteers get the most out of the service.

In a recent survey 99% of members and 87% of volunteers reported improved mental health and 86% of members and 85% of volunteers reported increased confidence as a result of MHA Befriending services.

We are currently able to offer telephone befriending in all areas of mainland UK. Face-to-face befriending may be available in areas where we have a local service.

Our LGBTQ+ befriending service has been developed with support from the MHA Pride Network to address the greater risk of loneliness and depression that older LGBTQ+ people may face. If you identify as LGBTQ+ or would benefit from talking to a volunteer befriender about the LGBTQ+ community – perhaps you would like to support a family member or talk about your feelings in a safe space – then please get in touch for a confidential chat.

We accept self referrals in addition to referrals from family, friends and health and social care professionals. Referrals can be made by phone, e-mail or through our website.
If you would like an informal chat about any of our services, please get in touch.

Information for volunteers

If you are passionate about enabling older people to live later life well, MHA is the place for you. We are a national charity inspiring the best care at every stage of later life. It is our mission to enable people to live later life well and you could help us achieve this.

A regular phone call can make all the difference to an older person experiencing social isolation or loneliness and this is where you can help. As a MHA volunteer befriender you will be matched with an older person to stay in touch, share news and have a friendly chat.

We’re looking for committed and compassionate volunteers to help make a difference to the older people we care for and support. All our volunteers receive full training and on-going support from our dedicated team.

Our telephone befrienders are based throughout mainland UK, most telephone befriending calls are weekly for about 30 minutes. Where we have a local Communities Scheme we may also have some face to face befriending opportunities to visit an older person in their own home or support them to engage with local services.

To start your volunteering journey please visit our website and apply on-line.