LA Foods Group has donated £5,000 to support BEfriend’s one-to-one Befriending Project, a service tackling social isolation for adults across the West London boroughs of Hounslow and Ealing. The funding will help sustain the project, enabling volunteers to continue providing weekly one-to-two-hour visits to vulnerable individuals in their homes, as well as facilitating inclusive day trips to locations like Kew Gardens.

The Befriending Project currently supports 204 service users, the majority aged over 50, with over 65% living with physical, cognitive, or sensory disabilities. Many of these individuals reside in some of the most deprived areas in the UK, highlighting the acute need for this service. Reflecting the diversity of the local community, more than half of the service users come from ethnic minority backgrounds. The project prioritises inclusivity and cultural sensitivity, employing bilingual volunteers who speak languages such as Urdu, Punjabi, and Gujarati.

This initiative, established in 1994, aims to reduce loneliness and improve mental well-being by fostering meaningful connections between volunteers and clients. Volunteers engage in a variety of activities during their visits, including conversation over tea, walks, and attending local events. Beyond simply supporting isolated individuals, the project empowers over 200 local volunteers, helping them gain experience and confidence to make a tangible difference in their communities.

Kevin Derbyshire, a representative from BEfriend London, emphasised the importance of the funding: “This generous donation allows us to continue building a strong community where everyone has the chance to feel connected and supported.” Adding to this, Tabrez Hussain from LA Foods Group expressed pride in their involvement, saying, “Supporting BEfriend London through MADL is a privilege. We’ve seen first-hand the transformative impact their work has on vulnerable people across West London.”

The donation was raised through sales of Co-op own-brand products in LA Foods’ Nisa stores, illustrating a successful partnership model between independent retailers and charitable projects that benefit local communities. Kate Carroll, social value lead at Co-op Wholesale, noted, “This is exactly what MADL is all about – giving independent retailers a powerful way to support projects that really matter to their local communities.”

The importance of BEfriend’s work is underscored by independent data: a survey by the Hounslow Borough Based Partnership found that 90% of residents aged 31 to 104 who received six months of BEfriend’s support reported reduced feelings of loneliness. Weekly visits from trained volunteers and participation in group outings have also been linked to increased physical activity and improved mental well-being among service users.

BEfriend also runs the Linked Minds Project, a specialist mental health befriending service launched in 2018 that supports people isolated due to diagnosed mental health conditions. Like the Befriending Project, it offers weekly visits over a year, helping clients set personal goals and boosting their confidence and community engagement. These complementary services demonstrate BEfriend’s broad commitment to addressing social isolation in West London.

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Source: Noah Wire Services