Time to Talk Befriending

The Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust provided funding in 2023 for Time to Talk Befriending‘s befriending services, including specialist enhanced befriending for older members at end of life or early-stage dementia, neighbourhood monthly meetups and on-going training and support for their large group of over 300 volunteers.

“Time to Talk Befriending was founded on the collective voice of older people who told us they felt ‘invisible’, ‘forgotten’ and ‘alone’. An overwhelming need to ‘see a friendly face at home’ because ‘before you contacted me, I hadn’t spoken to anyone for months’. Since our foundation in 2013 we have helped over 2000 local older people to “feel like I’m in the world again”.

@ Time to Talk Befriending
@ Time to Talk Befriending
@ Time to Talk Befriending

In 2022 Time to Talk Befriending supported 426 people with 318 volunteers. The average age of the people supported is 83 and 86% live with long-term health conditions. 89% live alone, 12% live with dementia, and they all have minimal family and friendship networks in place at point of referral. They were finalists in the 2023 BBC “Make a Difference” awards.