Our overall aim is to reduce social isolation and loneliness in the Keswick and surrounding CA12 area through befriending, either as a weekly 1-2 hour face to face visit or by a weekly 30 minutes telephone conversation.

We aim to recruit volunteer befrienders from the local community who are interested in people, good at listening and want to make a difference. They are all trained and DBS checked, whilst those wishing befriending are referred through social prescribers, other local organisations, friends and family or self-referrals. Befrienders and their friends are then ‘matched’ considering personality and interests.