Could you be a ‘Befriender’?

Could you volunteer some of your time to help improve the lives of seniors in Mid and East Antrim?
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If so, Mid & East Antrim Agewell Partnership (MEAAP) would like to hear from you as they are recruiting volunteers for their new face to face befriending project - ‘Building Flourishing Friendships’.

Jenny Marshall, Executive Director for Community Programs said: “Older People often tell us that what they would benefit from most is a regular friendly face over a cup of tea. Whilst we continue to work closely with The Good Morning Telephone Befriending Teams, unfortunately not all Older People are suitable for telephone befriending for a variety of reasons such as poor hearing or lack of access to a telephone. We hope that this new service will go some way towards helping to plug the gap in Mid & East Antrim.”

Befriending volunteers will be contributing towards the improvement of Older People’s lives. Once matched with an Older Person, volunteers will make regular home visits to chat and listen, provide companionship and help to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. All volunteers will receive a full volunteer induction and ongoing training to help with the role. In addition to this, volunteers will be supported by a MEAAP staff member throughout their volunteer journey.

Joan McGuigan, MEAPP volunteer TrusteeJoan McGuigan, MEAPP volunteer Trustee
Joan McGuigan, MEAPP volunteer Trustee

MEAAP are also on the lookout for new Trustees to join their Board. This is an opportunity to get involved at a more strategic level in

MEAAP and contribute to the future direction of the charity. The current Board of Trustees are keen to receive applications from a variety of backgrounds but are particularly interested in hearing from anyone with a background in HR, Law or Social Enterprise. To find out more about either role contact Charlene on 028 25658604 or email [email protected]