Fife Befriending Project

What can the project offer me or someone I am working with?

Lead Scotland’s Fife Befriending Project is a service is for adults and older people in Fife who feel isolated, lonely or disconnected, perhaps as a result of disability, ill health or other circumstances. Our fantastic Lead Scotland Volunteer Befrienders can support people to improve their confidence and connect more with their community. For more information  please see our Befriendee Welcome Pack.

How do I refer myself, a family member or someone I am working with?

You can contact Eloise Slaven, our Befriendee Coordinator, by email fifeadultbefriending@lead.org.uk or telephone 07950 771875.

One Fife Befriendee said, “Thanks to Lead I feel like I’m getting back to being the old me. I feel my independence coming back and that makes such a difference to my life”.

We are experiencing a high demand for the Befriending service at present. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to take referrals at this time and we have temporarily closed our waiting list. We apologise for any inconvenience.

If you, or someone you know is experiencing loneliness or isolation in Fife, please check The Well | Fife Health and Social Care for information about services and support in your local area.

Please check our website for updates on when our waiting list will be open again.

How can I volunteer to support this project?

Lead Scotland are looking for volunteers aged 18+ in Fife to spend around 2 hours per week or fortnight with someone who is lonely or socially isolated to support them to become more self-confident and motivated and to try new activities. This is a great opportunity to make a real difference in the local community, meet new people and have fun too.

Being a befriender means you would be making a real difference to someone’s life. Maybe you could go for a short walk, go for a tea/coffee in town, find a local activity or simply spend some time having a chat in the person’s home. Befrienders carry out a purely social role and do not undertake any personal care or domestic duties. Each match will be for 4-6 months, depending on the needs of the person receiving support.

Please email fifeadultbefriending@lead.org.uk or visit our volunteering page for more information and a starter pack.

A volunteer befriender describes the role as, “supporting people to get out and about makes me feel good too, I get so much out of it. I would recommend doing something like this to everyone”.

Any other questions?

Please call head office on 0131 2289441 or email enquiries@lead.org.uk

Lead Scotland’s Fife Befriending project gratefully receives funding from Fife Council.

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Fife health and social care partnership logo