Befriending Scheme

Wellbeing Events

We run a variety of monthly group events designed for people living with hearing loss. They’re a chance to meet others, enjoy shared activities and spend time in a relaxed, hearing-loss-friendly environment.

Our current sessions include:

Tea and Talk
A welcoming coffee morning where you can enjoy a warm drink and friendly conversation. It’s a gentle way to meet others who understand hearing loss.
This session runs in Sawston on the fourth Tuesday of every month.

Craft and Chat
A relaxed craft group where you can try simple creative activities or just enjoy some time chatting with others.
This session runs in St Neots on the first Thursday of each month.

All our sessions are free of charge and take place in accessible community venues across Cambridgeshire. You’re welcome to join us at any session, as often as you like.

Who Can Join the Scheme?

This befriending scheme is designed for older people who are living with hearing loss in Cambridgeshire. If you or someone you care about is experiencing hearing loss, whether you wear hearing aids, cochlear implants, or are simply struggling with your hearing, this scheme is here for you. We especially invite those who might be feeling isolated, lonely, or less confident because of their hearing difficulties.

You might be finding it hard to follow along in group conversations, or perhaps you’ve lost some confidence going out after experiencing hearing loss. Maybe you live alone, or your family is far away, and you’d love some company. Whatever your situation, you don’t have to face it alone. Our volunteers and group members are patient, friendly, and many have personal experience with hearing loss. We work with you at your pace, whether that means quiet 1:1 chats at home or joining a group event when you feel ready. All communication is tailored to your needs, so you’ll always be included.

How One-to-One Befriending Works

Alongside the monthly events, our scheme offers one-to-one befriending for a more personal touch. Our aim is to carefully match you with a trained volunteer befriender. We pair people based on things like shared interests, location, and preferences so that your befriender is someone you’ll genuinely enjoy spending time with.

Your volunteer befriender will typically meet with you about once a fortnight (the schedule can be flexible to suit you both). Visits usually take place in your home or wherever you’re most comfortable. During a visit, you might chat over a cup of tea, go for a short walk, play a board game, or simply have a friendly listener to talk about your day. If getting out to our group events feels daunting at first, your befriender can even accompany you until you feel more at ease.

All our befrienders receive full training, so they will communicate in ways that work best for you.

Our befriending visits are free and confidential. Your safety and happiness are our priority, every volunteer is DBS-checked and supported by our staff. We’ll also check in with you regularly to ensure the match is going well. 

Become a Volunteer

Our befriending scheme is powered by wonderful volunteers who generously give their time to support others. If you’re a caring, friendly person who wants to make a positive impact in an older adult’s life, we’d love to welcome you to our volunteer team! You don’t need any prior experience with hearing loss or special skills as we provide all the training and support. What matters most is that you’re compassionate, patient, and willing to listen. Many of our volunteers say they get as much joy and friendship from the scheme as the people they befriend.

Why volunteer with us? Aside from making a real difference to someone who may be feeling lonely, you’ll join a passionate community of people working together to combat isolation. It’s a chance to form a new friendship, learn about hearing loss, and give back to your community. We provide full training and our staff team will always be on hand to support you in your role. You’ll also be invited to volunteer gatherings and receive ongoing tips to help you be the best befriender you can be.

We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds – whether you have hearing loss yourself, have a Deaf or hard-of-hearing family member, or no personal connection at all. British Sign Language (BSL) knowledge is not required for our Hearing Help Befriending role as most of our befriending matches communicate with spoken English (with hearing aids, lip-reading, etc.), though if you do know BSL or have other communication skills, you may like to look at opportunities with our other CDA Befriending Scheme. 

Some key points for volunteers:

• No experience needed: You don’t need to have volunteered before or have any healthcare background. If you are patient and empathetic, you can be a befriender.
• Training & support provided: We give all volunteers comprehensive training before you start, plus ongoing support. You’ll learn about effective communication with people with hearing loss, how to handle challenges, and we’ll be there to guide you at every step.
• Flexible commitment: We appreciate any time you can give. Whether you can spare a couple of hours each week or only a few hours a month, we will work around your schedule. Even just 2 hours a month can make such a difference in someone’s life! We also offer flexibility.

By volunteering, you’re not just helping someone else, you’ll find you gain a lot too. The genuine connections you build are incredibly rewarding. You can volunteer as a one-to-one befriender, help at our monthly events – or both. We’ll discuss with you what suits you best.

If you’re ready to make new friends and give back to the community, come join our volunteer team! (And if you’re not sure, we’re happy to have an informal chat and answer any questions about what’s involved.)