The service is for people who are registered with a Rossendale GP practice and meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Be aged 75 or over
• Have a life limiting illness
• Have a long-term condition

However, this doesn’t exclude those under 75 who may be suitable for the service, it just means they will be assessed on an individual basis.

All our befrienders are regular community people just like you. They might be your friends, neighbours or simply a friend you haven't met yet.
All our volunteers are vetted by our Befriending Coordinator, Amy and are matched with someone close to them who they might have common interests with or who simply need a helping hand.

We operate an open referral system which means that people can self-refer or be referred by family, friends or providers of health and social care. You may download a referral form below but if you are doing this on someone else's behalf, please seek their permission first. 

For more information, please contact our Befriending Coordinator on 01706 393 870

Most people can be a Volunteer Befriender because our Befriendees are all different and have a wide range of needs.  We have people who want to chat, people who like to listen, people who want to learn new skills and people who just need someone to be at home to give their carer a break.

Application forms can be downloaded below, picked up from the Hospice or posted out to you.

Once we receive a completed application form, we will arrange a face to face chat to explain the service in greater detail, assess your availability and skill set and explain the next steps of the application including reference checks and Advanced DBS check.