Telephone befrienders need to have good listening and communication skills, with the ability to understand the needs of blind and visually impaired people and empathise with them. Reliability is also key. Befrienders must be willing to work within guidelines and to always follow confidentiality policies. Volunteer telephone befrienders are not counsellors, mentors or problem solvers; just good listeners who enjoy quality conversation. A regular phone call seems simple but can make a difference to someone’s sense of wellbeing and it may be one of the few times a week they speak to someone. Our clients are visually impaired and value the opportunity to communicate with somebody on a regular basis.

What skills do I need?

You need to be a good listener and able to use a computer. We will give you training in telephone befriending, safeguarding and using our database to log your calls.