Making good friends thanks to the Better Mental Health Befriender Project

Rotherfed chief executive Phil Hayes told a town hall meeting the Better Mental Health Befriender Project had been described by one coffee morning as “literally a lifeline”.

The health and wellbeing board meeting heard that 81 of the borough’s neighbourhoods were in the 30 per cent most deprived in England.

“The befriending network was formed in 2020 when loneliness and isolation really came to the fore in Covid with accessing food and medicines and other elements that needed to be engaged very quickly,” said Mr Hayes. “Loneliness and isolation are key issues that were exacerbated by the pandemic.

“We came together to get as much support to those individuals that needed it which worked really well, hence us being chosen to lead the befriending project.”

Rotherfed worked with Voluntary Action Rotherham, Age UK, Rotherham Parent Carers Forum and Live Inclusive on the befriending project which began in September last year and ended this May, during which 835 people took part.

“The overall aim of the project was to help people take steps back into community life,” said Mr Hayes, “although a lot of people had been lonely way before Covid.”

Through social engagement, people were supported to get involved in social activities, TARA events and training and employment opportunities.

Mr Hayes said the project had been run by volunteers, adding: “Peer support breaks down barriers and was a key success in what we achieved.”  

He said the befriending scheme had “hit the targets and over-achieved on pretty much everything”.

A Be a Good Neighbour scheme was also launched, with “little acts of kindness taking place during Covid that people were given the green light to do and we’re still seeing that support active now”, said Mr Hayes.

Of those taking part in the Befriender Project, more than three quarters were female, a third were from ethnic minority backgrounds, and more than a quarter were living with a disability.

Almost two-thirds lived in deprived areas.

One said: “I never thought someone I did not know would care so much and give their time up for me like they have”, while another added: “Not only have I got out more and met new people, I know where to go for other help now”.

Sheila Lloyd,  a senior executive at Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, called the project “brilliant”, adding that loneliness had a big impact on people’s mental health.

Director of public health Ben Anderson said the “really great project” went “well beyond the initial aims of befriending” by improving people’s wellbeing and helping them develop life skills.