What do our volunteers do? Be-friender

Hi I’m Robin and I’m a befriender at Richmond Fellowship’s Hammersmith and Fulham Employment and Wellbeing service. To be a befriender you need four things: empathy, charisma, commitment and passion. Oh and you have to be a good listener!

Most befrienders will spend 1-2 hours a week volunteering, but this can increase as you become more comfortable and confident with talking to people.  You may eventually be matched with several people to provide companionship.

On any given day you could be talking, providing one to one support, going for walks together, exploring new places like parks and museums, meeting for coffee or accompanying your befriendee to appointments or a social group. I enjoy hearing positive feedback and about personal growth. Many of the people I speak with are very grateful for the service, which makes me proud to be a part of it. Befriending has helped me learn the value of silence in conversation, not rushing to fill gaps, but using the time to think. I have learnt that I am a good listener.

Befriending has helped me learn the value of silence in conversation, not rushing to fill gaps, but using the time to think. I have learnt that I am a good listener.

As a befriending volunteer you will also need to attend group supervision once a quarter with the option of individual support. Group support is an opportunity to meet with other volunteers at Richmond Fellowship and reflect on how your volunteering is going, what you’ve found challenging, what you’ve enjoyed and what you’ve learnt. Hearing that people are going through difficult times in their lives can be challenging, but being there to offer companionship and signpost to services that can help is a positive side.

Hearing that people are going through difficult times in their lives can be challenging, but being there to offer companionship and signpost to services that can help is a positive side.

Volunteering with Richmond Fellowship Hammersmith and Fulham Employment and Wellbeing Service will also provide you with the opportunity for training. On top of your induction training, we offer Open College Network (OCN) training which covers what it is to be a volunteer, essential skills that you need and understanding recovery, as well as the option of a ‘Tell your story’ module. But best of all befriending has helped me develop my interpersonal skills, giving me valuable experience working with people.

Click here for more information on volunteering with Richmond Fellowship.