2's Company - Befriending

The Learning Community are so proud to have secured funding to deliver our very first Befriending project under the Prevention and Early Intervention Programme funded by Voluntary Action Rotherham and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

The Rotherham Loneliness Action Plan for 2023 – 2025 states that by working together the overall aim is that people of all ages feel more connected to others and loneliness is reduce. The Learning Community absolutely buy in to this proposal and will endeavour to contribute towards the achievement of the aforementioned pledge.

We are offering a befriending service to those not already engaged but find themselves socially and physically excluded from everyday societal inclusion as a result of mental health or physical barriers.

By offering home visits we are removing significant barriers to inclusion and engagement as well as travel and societal challenges. This will inevitably be a positive choice when initially engaging and discussing person centred requirements, aims and objectives using an Individual Needs Analysis (INA) which will consist of a number of questions and suggestions to completing a personal journey plan.

We will be providing a bundle of mind stimulating worksheets, digital inclusion worksheets and health and wellbeing and community activity information to each community member engaged to broaden interest and knowledge.

For those who would like to become digitally included, we have digital equipment which we can loan for a period of time to create social media pathways of engagement to include Facebook, WhatsApp, Zoom and email. We are happy to provide up to 3 hours 1 2 1 tuition to enable digital inclusion activities.

We will research community interests and liaise with district councils to raise awareness of community collaboration and cohesion, research possible employment or voluntary roles for those desiring,

We will focus on mindfulness, confidence and motivation and personal development.

We will provide a listening ear to those who feel they are not heard and create pathways to provision available.

It is vital that we are not seen as therapists, mental health specialists, NHS services but a route to joining the dots to access where possible.

The project runs from 01 July 2024 to 30 June 2025