Carers Connections project – pilot befriending scheme based on caring and connection

The No.1 Befriending Agency’s Carers Connections project offers carers in Glasgow a pathway to connect with other carers

The Carers Connections project is piloting a new scheme for carers in Glasgow to connect with each other by attending group befriending sessions called Cup of Friendship. During the pilot phase, this scheme is only available to carers living in Glasgow postcodes G51/52 and G20.

For this project, paid carers from the Carers Connections project will visit someone for 3 hours a week so their carer (particularly a family member) can have a break from their caring role, meet new people, learn new skills, and participate with heritage, wellbeing and other social activities. Their carers provide personal or practical care, companionship and support, and peace of mind for the carer attending Cup of Friendship events.

This group befriending is an opportunity for peers to connect with each other. This has become particularly important since the pandemic where we have seen a shift from wanting to engage in intergenerational befriending to our older members wanting to connect with people who they feel have more ‘lived experience’ so that they can share those ‘me too’ moments when talking about their experiences.

The aims of the project are to help individuals achieve personal goals such as increased independence and confidence, and reduced isolation, and to develop social networks; and to generate evidence to support a new income generation stream for the project.

Carers will be participating in the regular 2 hour ‘Cup of Friendship’ events for 12 weeks. The scheme will support engagement in group activities, link participants to local existing groups, and support them with training on using their digital device. In appropriate cases they may be able to supply them with a device.

The project is giving priority to individuals most at risk of social isolation and loneliness. For example, women, vulnerable young people (16yrs +), older people, carers, minority ethnic people, disabled people, homeless people, lone parents, adults with additional support needs and people with long term health conditions.

Attached to this article is a referral form to apply to take part in this scheme. Participants can use this form to self-refer, or organisations can refer on behalf of individuals. This pilot is running until 21 March 2023.

For more information, email jaiyeola@befriend.org.uk or call 07939 425098.

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