As the Project Manager for the Scottish Community Link Worker Network, I hear regularly from CLWs about the need for more services to address social isolation and loneliness; this is one of the main reasons that patients are referred to them by GPs. According to the National Institute on Aging the health risks of prolonged isolation are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, a statistic that shocked me when I read it.
The act of volunteering as a befriender is one of the best ways we can support people who are feeling isolated. There are numerous reasons why someone might be struggling – as a result of a recent bereavement, anxiety, poor mobility, or not having close family or friends nearby. We can all benefit from some company and a chat.
I started befriending when I lived in London and I was keen to continue when I moved to Edinburgh several years ago. I started my befriending via Cyrenians’ Golden Years project which focused on community connecting for the over 60’s in Edinburgh. I applied to be a befriender and had an initial meeting with one of the project officers. The meeting was to give him the opportunity to find out a bit more about me and for me to find out more about befriending and what would be expected from me. After doing some in-person training and getting my DBS clearance, I was quickly matched with an older gentleman.
And this is when Ian came into my life. What can I tell you about Ian? Well firstly, he is extremely intelligent. He knows something about pretty much any topic you ask him about! He is very interested in food, particularly funghi. He used to be a chef and I have been the beneficiary (as has my husband) of many of his fantastic bakes. His steak pie is a triumph! He likes stamp collecting (you learn a lot about social history from stamps), he likes his art and classical music and going out for nice meals, or for a blether over a cup of coffee.
“I love volunteering so much. I get to spend time with an amazing gentleman, we go for walks and a coffee as well as visit art galleries and museums as he loves his culture (as do I). It helps to get him out and about and I really enjoy his company, so it’s a win-win!”
Our befriending relationship has been going on for several years now. We usually meet up once a week, depending on what is going on in both our lives. We have met each other’s families and Ian recently celebrated his 70th birthday which was a fantastic opportunity for us all to get together to share this important milestone with him.
When thinking about writing this blog, I asked Ian why he had wanted a befriender.
‘I was quite lonely before. It is really good to have yourself and others to meet. It gives me something to look forward to.’
He strongly encourages anyone who is feeling lonely or isolated to apply for befriending support. ‘Try it out, it is worth it.’
I would totally agree with those words. As someone who has been a befriender for several years, volunteering is a great way to make a difference to someone’s life – it is flexible and so rewarding. I really look forward to my meet ups with Ian and I have learnt a lot from him over the years, although unfortunately my baking still has a long way to go to match his standards!
Unfortunately, the Golden Years project is one of many local community projects which have had their funding cut this year. Ian and I have agreed that we want to continue to meet up, so we will do that independently. However, funding cuts to projects like Golden Years will inevitably leave many vulnerable older people across Edinburgh without the essential community services that support them to live their best lives. We need to be brave enough to shift to a model of funding that prioritises early intervention and prevention services. We’ve talked about it for long enough, we now need to see it being implemented.
Finally, if you are thinking you would like to do something to support people in your community, then I cannot recommend volunteering as a befriender highly enough. It is one of the best things I have ever done. Just knowing I am giving someone something to look forward to makes me feel alive.
Roisin Hurst is the Project Manager for the Scottish Community Link Worker Network and was also a befriender with Cyrenians’ Golden Years project.
