Linking Lives Befriending- Real Life Story

In January 2021, Julia contacted me to inform me about the Linking Lives telephone initiative. This was a very serendipitous piece of information as one of our trustees had been insistent on us setting up a telephone befriending service through the pandemic, but we lacked the expertise to be able to do so. With the information Julia provided we were then able to contact Linking Lives and set up a project, Julia was very helpful, supportive and encouraging to the trustee who headed up this initiative throughout.

This lady was befriended by one of our telephone befrienders and a good rapport was established. Once we were able to open our services again the lady began to attend the place of welcome, virtually the only place she had gone to (other than shops) for the best part of a year. In the place of welcome, it became apparent that she had some serious financial issues, housing issues and mental health issues and none of that was being supported at all.

We were able to help ensure she was on the correct benefits and liaise with her housing provider about her housing issues. We also encouraged her to contact her GP and the local mental health team.

As a consequence of Julia’s initial contact and support in setting up the Linking Lives project we were able to establish a good relationship with a very vulnerable lady. A year down the line, this lady is now receiving the correct benefits (with one assessment waiting), we have helped her move to more suitable accommodation in a much better place, and she is now receiving mental health support from the local mental health team. She is on a much better footing to manage her health now, and has even re-established contact with her sister. She still on occasion attends our place of welcome and is also a regular at a bible study of one of the local churches.