Welcome Friends has been running for over 11 years throughout Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil. The project provides friendship through home visits and telephone calls by volunteers, reducing social isolation and improving well-being.

Welcome Friends improves the quality of life for older people by working with them to overcome or accommodate the difficulties faced by those who are not able to get out often.

Volunteering with Welcome Friends is a satisfying and rewarding experience. Volunteers need to be able to give an hour a week of their time to visit or telephone a lonely, sometimes isolated person in their own home. Their companionship can encourage them to seek interests in a local activity group or just enjoy a cup of tea and a chat. We will apply for a DBS check and take up two references from friends or colleagues and then arrange for an informal training session before introducing them to a new friend. We welcome applications from outside of the area for telephone befriending.

“I have only been calling my beneficiary for 3 weeks and I was anxious initially and feeling immersed in my role caring for my partner. However, I already have begun to feel “me” again. I feel alive and have a purpose which really does give me something to look forward to.”