Age UK North Tyneside - #BefriendingIs meaningful for both parties
During #BefriendingWeek, let's hear what #BefriendingIs from Age UK North Tyneside:
Befriending Case Study
August 2022
Sara
Sara is 44 years of age, she lives with her husband who is retired. She is not currently working and, having enjoyed a career predominantly working with young people, she decided to consider volunteering as a Befriender.
She explained that her career had been focused on teaching and supporting children to better appreciate wellbeing, health and diet. She’d also previously volunteered for the NSPCC and Charlie Bear for Cancer Care charities. As Sara had always had an affinity with older people she was interested in the volunteer role feeling that it could be rewarding to her.
She said, “I wanted to do something useful and a friend of mine suggested I contact Age UK North Tyneside to volunteer as a Befriender. She thought I’d be the perfect candidate as I love to connect with older people.”
Sara went on to say, “Age UK North Tyneside provided me with the training I needed then matched me with a customer who I could talk with on a weekly basis. The whole experience has been brilliant and the staff at Age UK North Tyneside have been excellent.
“Being a volunteer for Age UK North Tyneside has been massively rewarding. It feels so good to know that what I do is having a positive impact on both myself and the customer. The positive energy I have each week has been amazing and it really does brighten my day. I find this volunteer role fulfilling and rewarding and it has improved my own confidence and mood massively.”
Pam
Pam is in her 60s and has always lived in Wallsend. She is a very artistic person and turns her hand to most types of craft. Before retiring, Pam was a carer and loved supporting people in this role.
She lives alone and doesn’t have much contact with her family. Sadly, Pam had recently experienced the loss of her beloved cat.
Pam was interested in Befriending when it was suggested to her as she was keen to have someone to chat and laugh with on a regular basis. It was agreed that Pam would be supported by a telephone befriender.
Age UK North Tyneside kept in regular touch with Pam whilst they identified a suitable match before linking her with her volunteer Sara. Sara calls Pam once each week and they chat about shared interests, their past experiences and they enjoy a good laugh together.
For Pam, the calls from Sara are something to look forward to each week and it is especially meaningful as they have shared interests. Pam says of Sara, “She’s lovely, you couldn’t have matched us any better. She’s a breath of fresh air."
By:Age UK North Tyneside
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