Midlothian Needs Friends: Saving Lives with Befriending
A simple conversation can save a life – and this Befriending Week, we’re celebrating the volunteers who make those life-changing connections possible across Midlothian.
Befriending Week is an annual campaign during the first week of November to celebrate befriending, highlighting the positive impact it has on individuals and communities.
Demand for befriending services is at an all time high, with the Befriending Network’s 2025 Befriending Sector Insight Report highlighting the vital need for and importance of volunteer befrienders:
- 72% of member organisations report increased demand for befriending services.
- Over 7,400 people are currently waiting to be matched with a befriender.
- 21,024 volunteer befrienders deliver more than 1.6 million hours of support annually.
Midlothian’s Connect Befriending Project
We at Connect Befriending, support volunteers to create meaningful connections that brighten older peoples’ days. We provide ongoing training, opportunities for learning, and one-on-one support so our befrienders can feel confident and enjoy the connection they create.
This week we want to say a massive thank you to all the people and organisations that have made this project possible, especially our fantastic volunteer befrienders. Our Connect Befriending Project Coordinator, Sam Dyce, explains,
“We know how incredibly impactful a befriender can be for isolated older people. It’s a real privilege to provide a service that not only helps people get the enjoyment of meeting new people, but where we can help volunteers develop as they support their community.”
Befriending is not only beneficial to our service users but also had huge positive impacts on our volunteers themselves. We asked one of our Connect Befriending volunteers, Martin, to share his experience:
“I enjoy it because you can see a real difference in people lives. A positive difference. People can feel isolated, and 2-3 hours may not seem like a lot of time but to some people this can be something of a highlight in the week. Especially if they are largely confined to their home. This is the main benefit I think as a befriender I provide.
But also, of course, we provide some respite for the main carer. These people have a very difficult job and even a few hours here and there can let them go out or do things they need to do. Personally, I find it a real privilege that people we visit let you into their lives, sharing their family and life story with you. And I would really recommend it to anyone thinking of volunteering.”
A little connection goes a long way. Become a volunteer befriender today.