Compassionate Neighbours launched at Royal Trinity Hospice in January 2023 with the ambition to reduce social isolation and loneliness among those in the later stages of life due to age or illness. The project has grown over time from our very first match in the Spring, to recently reaching 25 matches between our Compassionate Neighbour volunteers and community members. 

Often these matches develop into organic friendships, and since 1-7 November 2023 marks Befriending Week, we wanted to take time to celebrate the Compassionate Neighbours project with the help of some of our matches. Also, it represents a valuable chance to hear how they have found their experiences of befriending and getting to know someone different within their local community. Here are what some of them think about each other! 

 

Enid and Georgina

"I was so pleased with being involved, it is really good. She feels like quite a friend already. She’s such a lovely person, I really look forward to seeing her." Enid

"We get on really well, I look forward to seeing her. The time goes really quickly and we’ve built up a great rapport. It is a really good match." Georgina

Iaon and Freddy

"I really enjoy it and we enjoy each other’s company. We also walk quite a bit in the park together which is great. I couldn’t have wished for anyone nicer than Freddy. There’s something about him, we get on really well and it is very natural." Ioan 

"Iaon is very easy to speak to and we are both outgoing people which helps, we often go walking together in Battersea Park. He has a lot of different interests, he loves classical music and we went to the Proms concert together and it was great to be able to share that with him." Freddy

Rosa and India 

"She’s a lovely lady we get on really well and can have a laugh, I always look forward to her visits. I couldn’t have wished for a nicer person to be matched with. We often go for coffee together, she’s a great listener and it feels like we’ve known each other for years." Rosa 

"I can’t believe it’s only been 3 months really. We always have a lovely time together. It’s such an incredible experience getting to know someone I wouldn’t have known otherwise. It is so nice to have that other person who is there and to chat to, it gives me a different perspective." India

Thank you to our Compassionate Neighbours and community members for sharing your experiences and perspectives with us and your openness to giving it a try. We look forward to seeing these matches develop even further over time, alongside new future matches! 

Find out more about Compassionate Neighbours Read about one of our latest matches

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