Befriending
If you can’t get to Wimbledon Guild, we’ll come to you
Befriending is about community and connection.
Nearly all of us have felt lonely at some point in our lives, and it can be hard to start up conversations with people you meet out and about.
If you can’t get to the Wimbledon Guild, we’ll work to connect you with one of our wonderful Volunteer Befrienders.
Volunteer befrienders typically spend an hour visiting their client at their home. Other volunteers meet clients out in the community, and others offer support over the phone. This may be on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis.
We currently have befriending volunteers in the Wimbledon and Raynes Park area waiting to be matched with people interested in weekend visits.
Who we can help
We can match you with a Wimbledon Guild Volunteer Befriender if you:
- Live in Merton
- Are housebound and/or
- Live alone and/or
- Have been diagnosed with a long-term health condition
That doesn’t describe me, tell me about other ways to meet new people
Who we can't help
Our befriending scheme is provided by volunteers and unfortunately we cannot help everyone. Click here for more information on who we are unable to support.
Contact us
To find out more, please get in touch:
Tel: 020 8946 0735 (Mon-Fri, 9am – 5pm)
What our volunteers say
"I work full-time in Wimbledon, but volunteering has made me feel more connected to those in the local community."
"I signed up to the befriending service hoping to try and make a difference to someone's life, I soon realised it makes such a positive difference to my life too".
“It's lovely to help others doing something I enjoy and with others who have similar interests. I've met some lovely people - both clients and volunteers.”
Become a volunteer Befriender
If you can spare an hour every week, fortnight or month to support someone with a cup of tea and a chat, you can make a huge difference to someone’s life.
More people than ever are asking for our help so please get in touch – there’s always someone waiting for your visit, meet-up or call!
We’ll be here to support you and will keep in touch regularly to see how you’re getting on.