Celebrating 30 years of Tackling Loneliness Through Friendship
Amy Marshall-Clerc looks at BEfriend the local charity that closes this week
Eliz Azeri and her Linked Minds client
June 11, 2026
Over the past 30 years, Ealing and Hounslow-based charity BEfriend has helped thousands of residents experiencing loneliness, isolation and mental health challenges through a one-to-one befriending service. It will now close on 12 June after struggling to secure sufficient funding.
BEfriend began as a small project within Ealing Voluntary Service Council in 1994. Since then, more than 700 volunteers have provided companionship to 3,400 clients through visits, phone calls and local activities.
In BEfriend Voices, the charity’s podcast, former client Chris describes the impact the service had on her life. She said: “It has made a massive difference. I am living now and not just existing. I have been able to smile again, embrace nature, go out to the garden, study mindfulness books, enjoy music, the list is now becoming longer and longer.”
In 2018, BEfriend launched the Linked Minds Project, providing support for socially isolated people living with a diagnosed mental health problem. Volunteers received specialist mental health training as part of the scheme.
One volunteer for Linked Minds, Eliz Azeri, said her role gave her a “real sense of purpose and connection” within the local community.
She said: “Befriending has been one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done. Sometimes it is as simple as a walk in the park or a coffee, but those moments can make someone’s week.”
While one-to-one relationships were at the heart of BEfriend, the charity also played a significant role in the wider network of community support, with referrals often made through social prescribing services.
Berkeley Dargin, a social prescribing mental health worker at West London Mind, said, “BEfriend’s contribution to the local community over the past 30 years has been significant, and its closure will be felt by many residents, volunteers and partner organisations who have benefited from its work. As a mental health professional who referred so many clients to the service, I am really sad to see it go.”
Although BEfriend is closing, Azeri said local residents can also help tackle loneliness in their community.
She said: “Checking in on friends or neighbours can make a real difference. Honest conversations about mental health also help reduce stigma, which makes it easier for people to reach out when they are struggling.”
Ahead of its closure, BEfriend has directed clients to Age UK and West London Mind for support and community connection, and to Ealing and Hounslow CVS for volunteering opportunities.
Amy Marshall-Clerc
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