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 follow link: www.sutherlandcareforum.org.uk  

Skye and Lochalsh Council for Voluntary Organisations: Skye and Lochalsh Neighbours and Friends

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 Sammy-Jo McArthur on 01478 612921 or visit their website www.slcvo.org.uk or Facebook page www.facebook.com/SLCVO

GALE's Helping Hands

GALE's Helping Hands service will be based in Gairloch and delivered in partnership with Gairloch and Loch Ewe Action Forum. 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.

For more details service and volunteering information please contact Tania MacKenzie, volunteer coordinator 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

Beauly and Glens Helping Hands Befriending Service

Beauly and Glens Helping Hands service is a proposed service in the area Beauly, Kiltarlity, Kirkhill, Kilmorack, Strathglass and Glenurquhart which is delivered in partnership with Glenurquhart Care project. This new service is a 2year pilot project funded in partnership Soirbheas and Beauly & District Care Project. 

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 provided training and support to the volunteers for this new service.

For more details service and volunteering information please contact Natasha MacNicol, service coordinator on 01456 459077 or visit their website or Facebook page.

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

As of June 2019

Ullapool: Initial discussions regarding proposed service completed and community meeting planned for Autumn 2019

Boleskine Community Care: Initial discussions proposed service completed and await contact with trustees 

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 

Dove Centre, Oban: Initial discussions regarding proposed service completed; initial training day delivered to volunteers. Service coordinator to make contact when ready to take service forward. 

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