Befriending Services Across the Highlands

Sutherland Care Forum: Friends at Home Befriending Service

Sutherland Care Forum (SCF) is the Hospice’s partner in central and east Sutherland, where it has offered the Friends at Home befriending service for a number of years. Their service manager and some of their volunteers have received Helping Hands training on supporting people with palliative care needs. The six month pilot of the partnership was successfully completed on 31 October 2017, and the two organisations have agreed ongoing partnership to sustain and develop the service in the future. A small grant from the Hospice is supporting this arrangement.

For more details service and volunteering information please contact Isobel Murray on 07907595962

Skye and Lochalsh Council for Voluntary Organisations: Befrienders Skye and Lochalsh

Skye and Lochalsh Council for Voluntary Organisations (SLCVO) deliver our partner service in Skye and Lochalsh. The Hospice has supported establishment of the service and is providing ongoing support as it develops. The service co-ordinator has attended the Helping Hands training and shadowed Hospice staff. The Hospice has worked with SLCVO to train and support the volunteers for this new service as well as providing a small grant.

For more details service and volunteering information please contact Claire Nairn on 01478 612921 or visit their website www.slcvo.org.uk or Facebook page www.facebook.com/SLCVO

Gairloch and Loch Ewe Action Forum: GALE's Helping Hands

Gairloch and Loch Ewe Action Forum deliver our partner service in Gairloch and Ullapool. The Hospice has supported establishment of the service and is providing ongoing support as it develops. The service co-ordinator has attended the Helping Hands training and shadowed Hospice staff. The Hospice has worked with GALE to train and support the volunteers for this new service as well as providing a small grant.

Support to people in Ullapool and surrounding areas is a recent development and will continue to be promoted and progressed through 2022.

For more details service and volunteering information please contact Rebecca Wolfenden, Volunteer Programme Assistant, on 01445 712071 or visit their website or Facebook page.

North Coast Helping Hands Befriending Service

North Coast Helping Hands service is delivered by North Coast Connection in partnership with Highland Hospice. The Hospice has supported establishment of the service and is providing ongoing support as it develops. The service co-ordinator has attended the Helping Hands training and shadowed Hospice staff. The Hospice has worked with North Coast Connection to train and support the volunteers for this new service as well as providing a small grant.

For more details service and volunteering information please contact Marion MacDougal on 01847 611392

Glens Befriending Service

Glens Befriending service is delivered in , Strathglass and Glenurquhart in partnership with Siorbheas.

The Hospice has supported establishment of the service and is providing ongoing support as it develops. The service co-ordinator has attended the Helping Hands training and has the ongoing support of Hospice staff. The Hospice has provided training and support to the volunteers for this new service.

For more details service and volunteering information please contact Nicky MacLennan; befriender@siorbheas.org or 07748575330

Cairdeas Befriending service

Cairdeas befriending service is delivered in Oban in partnership with Oban Hospice Limited.

The Hospice has supported establishment of the service and is providing ongoing support as it develops. The service co-ordinator has attended the Helping Hands training and has the ongoing support of Hospice staff. The Hospice has provided training and support to the volunteers for this new service.

For more details service and volunteering information please contact Lucy Hunt, Oban Hospice Community Services Co-ordinator on 01631 561315

Boleskine Helping Hands service

Boleskine Helping Hands befriending service is delivered in the area of Stratherrick and Foyers Community in partnership Boleskine Community Care.

The Hospice has supported establishment of the service and is providing ongoing support as it developes. The service co-ordinator has attended the Helping Hands training and has the ongoing support of Hospice staff. The Hospice has provided training and support to the volunteers for this new service.

For more details service and volunteering information please contact Kit Cameron ; chair@boleskinecc.com

Black Isle Cares befriending

New six month partnership project to commence late June in partnership Highland Hospice. Funding for the pilot has been sought from Highland & Island Enterprise funding and Funding partners Social Isolation fund

Currently Highland Hospice Helping Hands befriending service support people in the Black Isle area however in June Black Isle Care will pilot a befriending service with support Highland Hospice with the intention of continuing to deliver this support locally.

Please contact Megan MacKenzie, project coordinator for further information on 07548343375

Urram: Urram Helping Hands Befriending service

Urram Helping Hands befriending service is delivered in the area of Ardnamurchan and Morvern Peninsulas. We plan to commence in December 2021 and develop through 2022. The service co-ordinator has attended the Helping Hands training and has the ongoing support of Hospice staff. The Hospice will be providing training and support to the volunteers for this new service.

For more details service and volunteering information please contact Natalie Rodgers; natalie.rodgers@urram.scot or 07961213127

Other areas in Highland we are looking to work with partners to establish befriending services

As of December 2021

3 Glens: agreement that Highland Hospice will support a partner befriending service however no decision taken date this service will be progressed. Service will support people in Fort William, Glengarry and Glenmorriston.

Befriending Caithness: Training delivered and contact maintained regarding potential future partnership service

Lochaber: Initial discussions regarding proposed service completed and await contact with project lead

Badenoch and Strathspey: Discussions with Here to Help service and NHS staff regarding potential support for befriending in the area.