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ELFT Befriending Service

ELFT Befriending Service

Helping to combat loneliness and isolation amongst ELFT Service Users and Carers
Befriending Logo with Mission Statement

Who are we?

Our mission is all about fighting loneliness and isolation. We check in with our Service Users and Carers once a week to brighten up their day and help fight off feelings of loneliness or isolation.

We know that being social can be tough, so we can help guide you towards local events and groups, giving you the chance to step up you social game and boost your confidence! We also host online meetup groups, where people can mingle, share ideas, and develop their social prowess. And to top it off, we're all over social media and publish a monthly mag, spilling the tea on ways to beat the blues and connect with others!

Every single staff member has personal experience with mental health challenges and is trained to support others. With Befrienders who speak Bengali, Urdu, Italian, Portuguese, French, Polish, Spanish, Hindi, Romanian, Punjabi, Yoruba, Tigrinya, Somali, Sanskrit, and Swahili.

Befrienders 2023

Talk Together:

Each Service User receives a one-hour call per week for a three or six month period.

We cover all ELFT boroughs and calls can be set up between 9am to 9pm, Monday to Sunday. Service Users will speak with the same Befriender each week, allowing them to build trust and rapport.

Anything discussed during the calls is completely confidential, "it's like having a coffee with a friend!" 

Please be aware that we are not a clinical, counselling, or crisis service.

To set up phone calls, please contact your ELFT clinical team or GP for a referral.

Step Together:

We're offering something new for Service Users wishing to attend groups or events but are held back by social anxiety.   

Your Befriender will do the groundwork for you, contacting organizers to find out any barriers or costs. Together, you'll pick a date and time to meet at your chosen group or event.

Your Befriender will be right there by your side, cheering you on and giving you the confidence to be your amazing self! We'll check in with you a few days later to see how it went and celebrate your success! Before you know it, you'll be feeling so confident, you'll be adventuring solo!

Please contact your ELFT clinical team or GP for a referral.

Meet-Up Online:

We also host three online weekly meet up groups based around hobbies and interests:

· Espresso Yourself - Mondays 6pm
General chit chat from A-Z and the hot topics of the day.

· Gastronauts - Tuesdays 2pm
Food, fancy pants coffee, cooking and recipes. 

· Cinemates - Wednesdays 2pm
Film, TV, sci-fi, fantasy, box sets, gaming and nerd culture.           

If you feel worried or anxious about fitting into one of our groups, please just let us know. We’re more than happy to chat about any concerns before you join.

Media:

Grab your smartphone or tablet and use it to kill loneliness and isolation.

Our downloadable monthly magazine is packed with tons of goodies, like new hobbies, day out inspiration and creative art pieces from other Service Users who know the struggle with Loneliness.

Plus, our social media game is strong! We're on Insta, Tiktok, YouTube, and even have some soothing Spotify playlists to lift you up when you're feeling down.

Meet up Posters
Video file

Contact us

You can make contact with the service via the following ways:

ELFT Companion Magazine
Referral Forms
Talk Together Referral Form (Phone Calls)
Talk Together Referral Policy (Phone Calls)
Step Together Referral Policy
Want to Become a Befriender?
Befriender Job Specification

Learn more about what the role entails. 

Befriender Application Form

Please send your form to elft.befriendingservice@nhs.net