£6,000 awarded to local befriending charity to combat loneliness in the community
B:friend, a charity tackling loneliness and social isolation experienced by older neighbours across South Yorkshire and parts of Derbyshire, has been recently awarded a £6,000 donation from the Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust to support the charity’s befriending project in Rotherham.
B:friend currently works with around 1,000 older adults with the mission to re-engage them with the people and places around them, and transform their self-value. The charity matches isolated older neighbours with volunteer befrienders, who visit once a week for an hour for a chat and a cuppa to reduce social isolation and boost meaningful community connections.
They also bring over 65s together at 11 Social Clubs across South Yorkshire, for a different activity every week boosting body and mind, from dancing and making mocktails to creative writing and drumming.
Sara Kopecsni, b:friend’s Communications Officer, said: “Our charity believes that no one should have no one. This grant will provide vital funds to create friendships in the community in Rotherham and will make a huge difference to the lives of isolated older neighbours, who are often forgotten. We are delighted and incredibly grateful to the Elise Pilkington Trust for the donation. Without the help of our fantastic funders and volunteers we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”
