Membership Spotlight highlights the work of our member organisations and outlines how other individuals and NGOs can support them. Together is shining a light on Befriending Networks on the lead up to Befriending Week!

About Befriending Networks

Befriending Networks is the network for befriending organisations. Established as a charity in 1994, we have thirty years of experience supporting and connecting befriending services. Our vision is of a society where quality befriending support is available to everyone who needs it, and the importance of meaningful connection is recognised. As an intermediary between our members, supporters and stakeholders, we strengthen the befriending sector across the UK. We aim to support organisations to deliver quality befriending services. We have more than 100 members in Scotland.

1-7 November is Befriending Week, a time to recognise and celebrate the befriending sector. In our network, we estimate there to be more than 21,000 volunteer befrienders contributing an estimated 1.6million volunteer hours annually to creating and sustaining meaningful social connections.

Befriending is the purposeful match between a volunteer befriender and someone in need of increased connection. It is for all ages, and we wanted to share a story of one of our member groups, The Speech and Language Communication Company (SLCo), in Dundee, and their brilliant befriending Get a Buddy programme.

At Get a Buddy, young people with speech, language and communication needs are matched with a trained buddy for one-to-one support. Not every young person can speak clearly or easily. Some use only a few words, some use pictures or gestures, and some find it very hard to say what they want or how they feel.

This is the story of Jamie, 14, and Alan his volunteer befriending buddy. This is also a beautiful example of how adults can help children and young people realise their rights. In this instance, the right of children with a disability to live a full life (article 23) to express views and have these listened to (article 12), and to play and meet with friends (article 31) are advanced because of befriending.

When Jamie first joined SLCo, he was nervous, finding it hard to join in groups and often sat on the edge of activities. He used short words and signs, but many people did not understand him. This made him frustrated and withdrawn. Alan had been trained by SLCo in how to support someone with communication barriers. He learned not to rush, not to finish sentences for Jamie, and how to use visual supports like drawing, photos, or using digital aids. Alan also learned to watch for body language and give Jamie extra time to respond. At first, Alan and Jamie spent short times together, just playing simple games or walking around the block. Alan always let Jamie take the lead. Slowly, Jamie started to trust him. He began to smile more and to plan things he wanted to do. Week by week, Alan helped Jamie practise real-life skills. They cooked pizza, went shopping, travelled by bus, and joined group sessions at the youth club. Alan supported Jamie to make choices, ask for things, and explain what he wanted using his words and gestures. The big change was in Jamie’s confidence. His teachers noticed he was putting up his hand more in class. At the youth group, Jamie began joining in games, even teaching another boy the signs he used to ask for his favourite snack.

Alan’s patience, life experience, and calm style gave Jamie exactly what he needed from a befriending match. Jamie now has life skills that make him more independent. He can do all sorts of things! Most importantly, he feels included and listened to. Jamie’s mum said: “Having a Buddy who really understood his communication has given him a voice. He has grown in confidence and is showing us what he can do, not what he can’t.”

There are many more children and young people in Scotland who would love to have a befriender who can help to make their rights real. Recent research by Befriending Networks found that befriending projects have, on average, 26 people waiting to be matched with a befriender. The befriending sector needs more volunteers, and by giving a small amount of time each week you could make a real difference. At Befriending Networks we have a database of befriending services, and invite you to search the directory for befriending services where you could make an impact on children’s rights through befriending.

What do you enjoy most about being a member of Together?

We enjoy being connected as a member of Together, as we value the leadership that you provide for advancing the rights of babies, children and young people in Scotland.

Find out more about befriending at www.befriending.co.uk

Join Befriending Week celebrations 1-7 November 2025 www.befriending.co.uk/bw

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Consultancy and Training

Together provides training and consultancy to organisations looking to strengthen how they support children’s human rights. 

For twenty-five years, Together has been helping organisations and individuals from a range of backgrounds and roles to improve their awareness and understanding of children’s human rights in practice. This has included work on the Skills and Knowledge project, which explores what professionals need to know and apply to be able to implement children’s human rights. 

The UNCRC (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 will impact public bodies, private sector organisations and third sector organisations all over Scotland, as they look to further their work on children’s rights. Together can support organisations to identify situations in which they are already implementing children’s rights in practice, alongside how they can evolve their work using a Children’s Human Rights Approach. Find out more about our principle specific training.

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