Loneliness can play havoc with your mental wellbeing, so a local charity of volunteers is offering life-changing friendship to those in need.
BEfriend provides companionship to scores of residents who feel isolated. Its Linked Minds project specifically supports people who suffer with mental health problems.
Narg’s story
Narg, 39, moved to the borough last summer. She is a trained bio-medical scientist looking for work and thought the move to London would be good for employment opportunities.
It was harder than she thought. She couldn’t find a job and had moved to an unfamiliar area with no friends and family close by. It took its toll on her and she became depressed, anxious, started having panic attacks, and didn’t want to leave the house.
Her doctor referred her for therapy, but she was also brave enough to seek additional help. That’s how she found BEfriend.
The charity expertly matches its volunteers to clients. Narg and Anil’s pairing resulted in immediate friendship. They share a mutual interest in arts and culture and enjoy weekly meet-ups. They often go for a coffee, explore the borough’s parks and museums or venture into London to visit exhibitions.
Narg said: “I’m so grateful for Anil. She and the charity have had a huge impact on me. It’s wonderful to have someone to listen to me and share my feelings with. I don’t feel alone anymore.”
Genuine care
All BEfriend volunteers receive training and Linked Minds volunteers’ complete additional mental health training.
Anil said: “This is a charity that genuinely cares about both its clients and its volunteers — which I think is so important when it comes to volunteering. To be able to support someone else, you also need to feel supported yourself and BEfriend provides that.”
She added: “I genuinely enjoy my befriending experience. The matching process was really well done – Narg and I have a lot in common.”
Become a volunteer
You can make a positive change to someone’s life, and your own, by offering your time to volunteer. For more information go to the BEfriend website.
Councillor Polly Knewstub, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for healthy equal lives, said: “Volunteering is a hugely rewarding experience. BEfriend does such a lot of good work in our community. I hope there are more people like Anil that can offer some time to help others too.”
Rachel Hill, chief executive officer at BEfriend, added: “A lot of work and experience goes into matching clients and volunteers and it is a huge testament to our coordinators that is is usually a great success.
“The service makes such a difference for our clients, but I have to tell you that there is also a common bond only our volunteers share – befriending is an experience that is so fulfilling that it is almost impossible to put into words. If you think you could volunteer with us, we’d love to hear from you.”
Find out more about volunteering opportunities.
