The Bridge - Volunteer
KingsGate Church in Kingston has been asked if they would set up and run a telephone befriending service for 18 - 65yr olds, called the Bridge, for those who are struggling with loneliness or isolation due to Covid19. Currently they are setting up this service and are putting the necessary processes, safeguarding and training in place. Kingsgate’s desire is that any church in the borough can partner with them and they can link clients to a befriender who attends a church local to them. In that way, if the client wants more contact than telephone befriending, there is a link to a church near them.
The basic process will work like this:
- Volunteers from churches within the borough have references checked and given training.
- Volunteers commit to a minimum of 6 weeks (1 call to client per week, max 1 hr)
- A volunteer assigned to contact the client by phone.
- Volunteer phones the client for a chat once a week for six weeks. After 6 weeks there is a review to determine if the client wants to continue, if the chats are helping them, if there are other services or community activities they can be pointed towards and if the volunteer is happy to continue.
Full details of process, training, supervision and safeguarding will be explained to volunteers in training.
Volunteers running this service are members of churches and therefore their faith may play a part in the conversations. Equally these telephone conversations are not preaching opportunities for volunteers. They are a space for volunteers to help and demonstrate love for people who are struggling, to minister to Jesus by ministering to those he cares about and to talk about Jesus and pray with the client where they indicate they would like that.
If you would like to volunteer for this service, or to attend an introductory training meeting to find out more, please fill out the linked application form and include contacts for your church leader, for us to obtain a reference.
