Keech Hospice

Compassionate Neighbours is a growing movement of people who support each other to promote compassion in their communities. They provide social and emotional support to people who have a life limiting illness or palliative diagnosis and are experiencing loneliness or social isolation by:
- visiting regularly
- offering friendship, emotional support and a listening ear
helping them to do the things they like doing
- helping them stay connected to the community as well as family and friends
If you are:
• An adult over the age of 18
• Diagnosed with a physical life limiting or terminal illness
• Able to reciprocate friendship.
• Living alone or suffering loneliness and social isolation
• A Luton resident
Then you may be eligible for the befriending support of a Compassionate Neighbour.

Information for volunteers

Compassionate Neighbours is a social movement of local people enabled and supported to be more compassionate in their local communities. They provide social and emotional support to people towards the end of life due to age or illness. They also share their knowledge and experiences of end of life, death, dying and loss within their community and provoke engagement with these issues. Our volunteers are culturally and religiously diverse and offer:
• Emotional and social companionship
• Regular visits
• A listening ear and someone to share interests and hobbies with
• Support to stay connected with community, friends, and family

What skills do I need to be a Compassionate Neighbour?
We are looking for:
• A willingness to develop a new friendship
• A good communicator and an active listener
• Someone with empathy and is non-judgmental
• Someone who respects diversity and others’ opinions
• Someone eager to make a difference in their local community

What will be required of me?
You must be over 18+ and will be required to complete a one-day training session and complete a settling in period to see if the role is right for you. You can choose to become a Compassionate Neighbour with Keech Hospice in which case we will pair you with someone in or around your local area and offer ongoing support, or you can return to your community and put the the skills and knowledge gained to use in your everyday life. The role is flexible around your schedule. We only ask that you are in contact with the member of your community regularly, and you can decide together what works well for you both. The relationship with your community member can last as long as you both want it to – you can trial the role for a period before deciding if it is right for you.