If you’re looking for loneliness support, start with what you’d like to happen next. Do you want a voice at the other end of the phone today? Someone familiar to ring most weeks? A reason to leave the house on a Wednesday? Each has a different starting point, and you can try one without committing to the others.
- A friendly voice today, aged 55 or over: ring 0800 4 70 80 90. Age UK’s Silver Line is free and open day and night throughout the UK.
- Regular contact: search the Befriending Networks directory by postcode and ask the service about matching and waiting times.
- Something local to join: ask a library or community centre about a particular interest. A GP practice may also be able to connect you with a social prescribing link worker.
- Help with how you’re feeling: talk to your GP if low mood persists or you’re struggling to cope. If you need help urgently, use our urgent help page.
What charities in the UK offer support for loneliness?
Age UK’s Silver Line is an option when you’re 55 or over and want a conversation without booking ahead. You can ring with an ordinary piece of news. You don’t need to save up something important to say. Its guide for callers explains what to expect. If what you want is the same person to ring you regularly, tell the organisation that when you enquire: a line you ring yourself and a matched befriender are different arrangements.
Befriending Networks lists member organisations offering telephone, online and face-to-face contact. Its directory puts you in touch with providers. Contact the individual organisation to check who can join, whether the service covers your area, and how the first introduction works. A listing can still be useful when a scheme is full: you can ask whether there is a waiting list or another local organisation taking enquiries.
Mind gathers useful contacts for loneliness, including opportunities for online peer support. Its local Mind network offers services in England and Wales. Check your local organisation’s own page for what it runs. If you’d rather write an enquiry than explain everything on the phone, look for the contact method listed by that provider.
Samaritans is an option when something is troubling you and you want somebody to listen. You can ring free on 116 123, day or night. You can see the details on the Samaritans contact page. If the call you have in mind is a regular catch-up about the football on Sunday, a friendship service is a closer match for that request.
Finding support where you live
A national charity’s name may be familiar. A group ten minutes away can be harder to find, especially if it advertises on a library noticeboard. Give the person helping you a useful detail. “I’m free on Tuesday mornings, I like gardening and I can get the bus into town” is easier to act on than “Have you got anything social?” The answer might be a community garden, a seed swap or a small volunteering session.
In Scotland, ALISS lets you look for groups, activities and services by town or postcode. In Northern Ireland, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s Good Morning services page explains a telephone contact option and the areas it covers. In England and Wales, the local Mind finder is another starting point if you’re looking for mental health support close to home. The UK befriending directory above is useful across borders, particularly if you’re looking on behalf of someone who lives elsewhere.
Before making a journey, ask the organiser whether a session is running on the day you plan to go. If hearing several people in a busy room is difficult, ask if there’s a quieter table or a smaller session. If travel is the obstacle, ask whether anyone takes part by phone or whether there’s a group closer to your bus route. Those answers can rule an option in or out before you’ve spent any money getting there.
What can I ask my GP practice?
The NHS guide to loneliness includes groups, volunteering, peer support and asking a GP about a link worker. If you’d like somebody to help you find a local activity, you can ask, “Is there a social prescribing service I can speak to through this practice?” Our guide to social prescribing explains what to ask. Access and referral arrangements vary locally.
If your mood has been low for more than two weeks, you’re struggling to cope or things you’ve tried aren’t helping, speak to your GP about those concerns too. Explain what has changed in your day: perhaps you’re no longer answering calls or you keep cancelling things you used to enjoy. You can ask about medical support and local opportunities in the same appointment. One enquiry needn’t replace the other.
What to ask before signing up
Suppose you’d like a call while the person you care for is at a Thursday activity. You have an hour, but only between eleven and twelve. A scheme that offers an afternoon call may sound ideal on paper and still miss the only time you can speak freely. Give the organiser the actual window, and find out how much notice you’ll get before the first call.
Other useful questions are “Can I refer myself?”, “Does the caller introduce themselves in advance?”, “Is there a charge?” and “What happens if one of us is away?” If you would like to speak to someone online, check whether the conversation itself takes place online. A website may offer an online booking form for a telephone call. You can also ask whether you have to use a camera or download anything.
If you’re helping a relative compare options, ask them which arrangement they would choose. You might want the reassurance of somebody checking in. They might want a person who has time to talk about yesterday’s cricket. Clarifying that difference avoids setting up a call the recipient doesn’t want or expecting a befriender to carry out a welfare check.
If the first enquiry leads nowhere
A full group or an unanswered email needn’t send you back to the beginning. Keep the detail you’ve learned. “Thursday is good, mornings only, phone preferred” is a ready-made enquiry for the next service. If several options feel like too much, save one contact and leave the rest for another day. For more about the experience itself, see our loneliness guide. Our UK loneliness statistics give wider context if you want it.
Where does a paid conversation fit?
A paid appointment is one choice for somebody who wants to select a time and a befriender. At Let’s Just Talk OK, UK adults aged 18 and over can book 30 minutes for £30 or 60 minutes for £45. The conversation is by phone, and the chosen befriender rings from the office number. If cost is a barrier, start with the free or local options above. You can read about what we know about talking and loneliness before deciding what you’d like to try. If an arranged call suits you, here’s what to expect when you book someone to talk to by phone.
Service details checked against the organisations’ own pages on 4 November 2026. Local availability can change.
