Befriending is an organised way of making time for human connection. In the UK, the word often describes a service that brings a person and a befriender together for regular contact, with an organisation supporting the arrangement. The contact might be a phone conversation, a visit or a shared activity, depending on the service.
The name does not tell you everything. A volunteer scheme, a paid telephone call and a service offering practical help can have very different arrangements. Before choosing, check who the service is for, what actually happens and what it costs.
To compare the practical arrangements, see telephone or face-to-face befriending, including access, costs and questions to ask.
Our guide to the benefits of befriending separates participant experiences from research findings and explains the limits.
What does befriending mean?
Befriending Networks describes befriending as a relationship supported by an organisation. Its explanation emphasises clear boundaries, matching and ongoing support for the people involved. That is a useful description of organised befriending; it should not be read as a promise that every business using the word follows the same model.
For someone looking for contact, the practical question is simple: what sort of conversation or company would you like, and does this particular service provide it? You might want a regular weekly chat, a local activity, or a conversation at a time you choose. Those are different preferences, and no single option has to meet them all.
What does a befriender do?
A befriender makes time to talk and listen within the service’s agreed boundaries. An ordinary conversation might cover a television programme, a hobby, memories, local news or how the week has gone. You do not need a dramatic story to have something worth saying.
What else a befriender can do depends on the scheme. Do not assume that the word includes home visits, transport, shopping, personal care or help with paperwork. If you need any of those things, name that need when you enquire and check that the provider can meet it.
It is also reasonable to ask what support the befriender receives, how concerns are handled and who you contact if the arrangement does not suit you. An organisation’s own policies should answer those questions. A description of another service’s standards cannot answer them on its behalf.
How is organised befriending different from friendship?
Friendships can grow in many places, but a service starts with an agreed purpose and limits. There may be a set time for contact, a staff member overseeing the arrangement and rules about personal contact details or gifts. These boundaries should be explained before you take part.
Ask how long an arrangement is intended to last and what happens when either person needs to stop. If continuity matters to you, ask whether you will usually speak to the same person. If you would prefer to try a conversation before committing to anything regular, ask whether that is possible.
A friendly call should not be presented as a guarantee of a lasting personal friendship. Equally, paying for someone’s time does not mean you have to share more than you want to. You can decide which subjects feel comfortable and which you would rather leave alone.
Telephone, in-person and other arrangements
Telephone befriending
A phone conversation can take place without travelling to a meeting. Check who makes the call, whether a landline or mobile is suitable, how long the conversation lasts and whether the time is fixed or chosen for each call. If hearing or speaking on the phone is difficult, explain the access requirements before signing up.
Local visits and activities
If what you want is to spend time with someone in person, look specifically for a service that offers visits or activities in your area. Ask where contact takes place, whether transport is included and whether there are any costs. A telephone service cannot provide a visit simply because both use the word befriending.
Written contact
If you prefer written communication, ask whether the organisation has that option. Do not assume that “online booking” means a text-chat service. Booking a conversation through a website and having the conversation online are two different things.
Free befriending schemes
Free options are worth exploring before deciding to pay. For example, Age UK’s Telephone Friendship Service offers scheduled weekly calls with a volunteer. Its current page gives eligibility requirements and explains how to apply. Check that page for the latest waiting-time information rather than assuming calls can start immediately.
Age UK’s Silver Line Helpline is a different option: a free telephone service for people aged 55 and over, open day and night throughout the year. It is distinct from an arrangement with a regular telephone friend. The provider’s page explains what it offers.
You can also use Befriending Networks’ website to look for organisations. Check location, eligibility and contact arrangements directly with a service before making plans. A directory listing does not mean a place is available or that every listed organisation meets every need.
How a paid, booked call differs at Let’s Just Talk OK
Let’s Just Talk OK offers paid, booked telephone conversations for adults aged 18 and over in the UK. You choose a Community Befriender by first name and pick an available appointment. A 30-minute call costs £30; a 60-minute call costs £45.
This is a commercial service, not a charity or a volunteer matching scheme. The customer chooses their befriender. We do not claim the training, accreditation or matching process of the charities mentioned above.
At the booked time, the befriender rings the number supplied for the conversation from the office number. Calls are by phone only. You can read how telephone befriending works for the booking steps, or find out about a call from anywhere in the UK.
The fee pays for the booked conversation. It does not promise a change in your mood, health or circumstances. Whether a paid call suits you depends on what you want, the available times and your budget. You can compare it with free services without needing to justify choosing either.
What befriending is not
Let’s Just Talk OK does not offer counselling, therapy, medical advice, personal care or crisis support. A befriending call should not be used as a replacement for professional help you need. If you are looking for assessment or treatment, contact an appropriate health service rather than assuming a friendly conversation can provide it.
Likewise, do not rely on a booked social call as an emergency response or welfare-monitoring arrangement. If that is the support you are seeking, ask for a service specifically set up to provide it.
Questions to ask before choosing a service
Our guide to choosing a listening service explains what to check before you commit.
- Who is it for? Check age, location and any other eligibility criteria.
- What happens? Ask about the format, length and frequency of contact.
- Who will I speak to? Find out whether you choose, are matched, or speak to whoever is available.
- What does it cost? Check the whole commitment, including cancellation terms or recurring charges.
- What is private? Ask about recordings, notes, access to information and safeguarding limits.
- What if it does not suit me? Ask how to raise a concern, change an arrangement or stop.
If you are enquiring for a parent or another adult, involve them in choosing. Explain who will call and why, and make sure they want the conversation. Paying on someone’s behalf does not decide what they should talk about.
Choosing a next step
Start with the type of contact you would actually welcome. You might prefer a regular volunteer call, a local group or a booked conversation. Check the details, ask about anything unclear and give yourself time to decide.
If you would like to explore our paid phone service, the someone to talk to page sets out the options and limits.
Need urgent help?
We are not a crisis or emergency service. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999. In England, urgent mental health help is available through NHS 111, selecting the mental health option. Samaritans offers free listening support day or night on 116 123. See urgent-help routes for further information.
Sources checked 2 November 2026: Befriending Networks, Age UK’s Telephone Friendship Service and Silver Line pages linked above; NHS urgent mental health guidance; Samaritans.
