BTA Befrienders’ Centre
Like all cancers, brain tumours can isolate people, removing them from their old lives, old lifestyles and social networks. Befrienders help reduce that isolation. They do this in a number of equally important ways:
- Assisting with support groups
- Being available to receive telephone calls
- Providing company and conversation
- Doing basic household chores and shopping
- Performing domestic maintenance tasks or gardening
- Providing transport, for instance, driving someone to an event they’d like to attend.
Being a Befriender calls for real commitment. Because the role brings the Befriender into contact with potentially vulnerable people, training and high level disclosure is required, and Befrienders need to be willing to be involved for a considerable period of time.
Brain Tumour Action is currently in the process of creating a Befriending scheme based around the needs and requirements of Scotland in the 21st century. We will be publishing details here when ready. For the time being, we will be seeking volunteers to undertake Befriending roles in Scotland, although we hope to extend the scheme to England and Wales in due course.
November 22, 2009
Posted in: Uncategorized
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