The No.1 Befriending Agency

The No.1 Befriending Agency Profile Image

Sheila Mcpherson

Managing Director

Mission

The No.1 Befriending Agency is a vibrant Community Interest Company (CIC) that works to reduce loneliness and isolation. Part of how we do this is to ensure that older people can thrive through connections that local people need to live happy, healthy lives. Our vision is to create connections and build confidence in and through the people we work with. Our mission is to promote fullness of life and reduce loneliness and isolation through friendship and companionship. We work mostly in Glasgow, although we sometimes provide services throughout Scotland. Our Values: Compassion, happiness, independence, respect, courage

Category

Health

Additional Information

We operate a befriending service that is free to the user with the help of our amazing volunteers. We also run The No.1 Care Agency, a bespoke person-centred care service with the help of our team of trained and friendly carers. Our dedicated volunteers provide support to help older people get and stay connected with their communities, alleviating loneliness, improving health and wellbeing, making communities stronger through volunteering. This includes providing support for them to be as independent as possible and to be connected through face to face and telephone befriending, via digital technology accessing virtual and group events or at a central venue. (we are planning and working towards face to face befriending and events as lockdown restrictions ease). Throughout the pandemic these individuals are experiencing exclusion from social relationships, have limited or no access to information and no opportunity to participate in activities. Even before the lockdown, many of the service users we support have very little interaction with anyone other than their family members who may not live nearby and would rarely be able to socialise with other people unless they received befriending services. Both older and younger people have told us that learning new skills and gaining confidence aids them to take advantage of opportunities that promote access to support and advice as well as improve their economic position through education and chances for employment. By tackling loneliness and isolation and breaking down the barriers both real and feared such as access, language, cultural, mobility and providing support individuals will become more socially included, increase confidence and display improved self-esteem, mental health and well-being; befriending also encourages independence to attend and participate in events; learn new skills; offering friendship and companionship. The befriending relationship helps transform two lives, the volunteer and the service user. The organisation is a member of Befriending Networks and has achieved the Quality in Befriending Award; also a member of Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland; Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector; Glasgow Social Enterprise Scotland; Social Enterprise Networks. The intergenerational and multicultural aspects of our projects aim to bring people together in purposeful, mutually beneficial ways which promote greater understanding and respect between generations and cultures contributing to more cohesive communities.

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