Buckinghamshire Mind seeks sponsorship for its Befriending service during Mental Health Awareness Week

Buckinghamshire Mind is reaching out to its local community to ask for support in sponsoring its Befriending service, a crucial initiative designed to provide companionship and support to individuals facing mental health challenges.

Mental Health Awareness Week, from 12^th of May to 18^th of May, celebrates the power and importance of community, and how being part of a safe, positive community is vital for our mental health and wellbeing. Our Befriending service connects trained volunteers with individuals who may feel isolated or lonely as a result of mental ill-health, offering a compassionate ear and a supportive presence.

Buckinghamshire Mind is committed to fostering a mentally healthy community where mental health is prioritised and stigma is eradicated. To enable us to continue forming empowering partnerships, we are seeking sponsorship from those that share our commitment to mental health and wellbeing.

Joel Rose, Chief Executive of Buckinghamshire Mind, said: “We believe that everyone deserves access to compassionate support, especially during challenging times. By sponsoring our Befriending service, you can help us make a significant difference in the lives of those experiencing mental health issues. Your support will enable us to continue to provide this service free of charge and reach more individuals in need.”

Just £5 per month can make a huge difference and help to continue to deliver this service to those who desperately need it. 

• £5 could help fund a monthly volunteer recruitment campaign. 
• £10 could fund a weekly one-hour Befriending call. 
• £20 could enable a Befriending partnership to meet every week. 
• £100 could fund coordination and support for Befriending partnerships. 
• £250 could provide a mental health training session for a Befriender.

Tim, who was supported by the Befriending service, said: "I came to Bucks Mind in a very broken state and was given wonderful care and support from the Befriending Support Worker. She connected me with a Befriender. I very much appreciated the time he spent with me walking and talking together. The past 18 months have been some of the happiest in my life. I am very contented and free from depression and anxiety.” 

Bob, who was supported by the Befriending service and has gone on to become a volunteer Befriender, said: “I was offered CBT and counselling, but nothing made much difference until I was referred to the Befriending service at Bucks Mind…if there were more Befrienders in the world it would be a better place.”

For more information about Befriending and how you can get involved, please visit Befriending - Bucks Mind (external site)

For more information on how to become a monthly sponsor, or to make a donation to the service, please visit: https://checkout.justgiving.com/aol9x84yo0 (external site)