Befriending

Befriending

We offer individual and group befriending.

One to One Befriending

We recruit and train volunteers who contact their client on a regular basis with visits, phone calls, emails, or letters.  We try to match people with interests in common, some people meet at home, others in a cafe or going out to garden centres or parks.
If you would like someone to contact you regularly and you live alone in Harborough District please contact us on 01858 439262 or email us

Group Befriending

Community Gatherings

We meet up once a month, usually for tea, cake and a chat in an accessible venue and are able to offer transport to bring people together. The purpose of these gatherings is to enable people to meet others in the project in a safe environment, and to extend their local social network.

Clients sometimes come with their volunteer the first time but soon feel happy to come on their own, knowing that they will be welcomed.

“Thank you all for another wonderful gathering. I made some more friends and really enjoyed the lovely venue along with the tea and cakes.”

We have had interesting talks from the Canal and River Trust, the Active Harborough Team and Leicestershire County Council.

The Community Gatherings are for members of the project and are not open to the public.

Volunteer Led Social Groups

We have a variety of volunteer led social groups which enable clients to make new connections both face to face and online. We hope that these groups could continue if project funding is no longer available.

  • Breakfast Club – Market Harborough, this welcoming group meets weekly in a local cafe.
  • Zoom Mini Gatherings happen online monthly with a suggested conversation starter.
  • Zoom Book Club meets online monthly to discuss a wide variety of novels and autobiographies.
  • Coffee Club – Lutterworth, meets monthly for regular catch ups
  • Tuesday Chatter –  Market Harborough another monthly group which meets informally to keep in touch.

More reports of our meetings are in our Community Champions Newsletters.

Contact Community Champions

Available across Harborough District
Telephone 01858 439 262
Email champions@vasl.org.uk
Address: Community Champions, VASL, Torch House, Torch Way, Market Harborough, LE16 9HL