POSITIVE FRIENDSHIPS

A new service from Lunch Positive and the Together Co seeks HIV befrienders

Living with HIV can still be life-challenging and isolating. Opportunities to socialise and form meaningful friendships can be hampered by many things – health issues, feeling low, HIV stigma, and other factors. In addition to this, Covid-19 isolation and shielding over the past year have left many people with HIV disconnected, finding it difficult to regain old friendships and form new ones. To combat this a new HIV befriending and buddying scheme has been launched as a community partnership between HIV charity Lunch Positive and loneliness charity Together Co. The scheme is open to people with HIV aged 40+ living in Brighton & Hove and surrounding areas who are looking for supportive social connections. It aims to reach those who might be feeling lonely or isolated, or just looking for supportive friendships that they don’t already have, and to match them with a volunteer befriender who has shared interests.

Once linked in, the scheme member and befriender decide what friendship activities they would like to share as part of their friendship. These can range from regular telephone conversations to meeting for coffee, going for a walk or on an outing, and so on. The choice is all mutual, and the befriending is all based on mutual respect, trust, and the highest regard for confidentiality. Over the past year people who have been part of telephone befriending calls have said that the regular phone conversations they have shared have been life-changing, helping them get through very isolating and often worrying times. Even now, as we come through Covid-19 and things start to open up, the need for meaningful, safe and supportive friendship remains hugely important; especially when people sometimes understandably feel cautious about socialising again. “People who become volunteer befrienders are fully supported with training and guidance where needed, and offered the opportunity to be involved in a range of befriender training, support and social events”

This new scheme goes from strength to strength, having more than 20 participants in its first few months. Enquiries from people looking to be linked up with a befriender have been wide-ranging, and especially through the local HIV clinic, The Lawson Unit. The interest and support of the nurses and consultants there has been amazing, especially while working with the added demand of the Covid pandemic. Lunch Positive is the point of access for people enquiring and interested in the scheme and looking to be matched with a volunteer befriender. Anyone interested should get in touch with Lunch Positive and they will explain all about the scheme, and how to sign up. Volunteers who give their time as befrienders are coordinated by Together Co and also supported by Lunch Positive. Both the scheme member and volunteer are supported along the way by the two charities, available to help where needed. So far, the befriender volunteer team has given over 300 hours of telephone friendship calls to scheme members. “Over the past year people who have been part of telephone befriending calls have said that the regular phone conversations they have shared have been life-changing, helping them get through very isolating and often worrying times”

Following this great start to the work, with a growth in people wanting to be befriended, the scheme is now looking for more volunteers to get involved. Right now, the scheme is particularly looking for volunteers who are themselves HIV-positive to provide friendship and peer-support, drawing on lived experience of HIV, as well as people from the wider community. People who become volunteer befrienders are fully supported with training and guidance where needed, and offered the opportunity to be involved in a range of befriender training, support and social events. The training and support is jointly provided by Lunch Positive and Together Co, all fitting in with the volunteers’ own availability and needs. Peter, one of the current befriender volunteers, says: “I check in weekly with my scheme member by phone and find out how they are doing and hear what they have been up to. “As a person living with HIV I have a personal awareness of the challenges that can come with HIV. We share experiences and tips as well as having a laugh. We talk about anything that is going on for the caller and their plans. Sometimes we all just want to be heard and not feel judged. I always feel honoured that people can share their lives with me over the phone and know that it will be kept confidential. Being able to bounce ideas off someone can make a huge difference and knowing that someone is interested enough to listen to the challenges as well as the triumphs can turn a day around for people according to feedback we have had. “Making connections and keeping in touch happens when you offer a friendly ear and have a healthy curiosity. I find it all incredibly rewarding and I’m so pleased to be able to offer social support as a peer.” ) If you are interested in becoming a volunteer befriender and would like to know more then please visit

www.lunchpositive.org and fill out the form.

Alternatively, if you would first like to talk more about the scheme and how it works, please call Lunch Positive on 07846 464384 and they will be happy to answer any questions you have. Thank you!