Non clinical telephone support for loneliness and isolation

We provide weekly phone calls to Service Users and Carers experiencing loneliness and isolation. 

We host online meet up groups where people can get together, share thoughts and flex their social skills.

We publish on social media and in a monthly magazine, providing information on how to combat loneliness.

We are 100% staffed by trained, supported ELFT Service Users and Carers with lived experience of mental illness.

We only accept referrals where there is a responsible clinician attached to the referral.

We have Befrienders who speak Bengali, Urdu, Italian, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Hindi, Romanian, Punjabi, Yoruba, Somali, Darsi, Pahsto and Farci.

Weekly Phone Calls:
Each person receives a one-hour call per week for a three or six month period.

We cover all ELFT boroughs and calls can be set up between 9am to 9pm, Monday to Sunday. Service Users will speak with the same Befriender each week, allowing them to build trust and rapport.

Anything discussed during the calls is completely confidential, "it's like having a coffee with a friend!" 

Please be aware that we are not a clinical, counselling, or crisis service.

Online Meet-Up Groups:
We also host four online weekly meet up groups based around hobbies and interests:

· Gastronauts
Food, fancy pants coffee, cooking and recipes. 

· Earthlings
Gardening, plant care, outdoors pursuits, wildlife, nature and animals.

· Cinemates
Film, TV, sci-fi, fantasy, box sets, gaming and nerd culture.           

· Bookworms
Creative writing, poetry, journaling, reading and literature.

If you feel worried or anxious about fitting into one of our groups, please just let us know. We’re more than happy to chat about any concerns before you join.

To contact us:

You can make contact with the service via the following ways:

Service Line: 0207 655 4019
Out of hours: 07557 172803
Email: ELFT.Befriendingservice@NHS.net