Battersea Befriending Network has two part-time paid employees, around 50 volunteers, and around 40 befriendees at any one time. Volunteers can be befrienders, mentors, trustees or all three. On this page, eight members of the charity explain why they became involved.
Tara
I joined BBN in 2019 as its first (very part-time) paid employee and am thrilled to be part of the team. I previously worked as an occupational therapist for 20 years, much of it in our local NHS mental health services, and when I'm not at BBN I'm a professional gardener! I'm committed to creating opportunities for friendship, support and connection amongst the people in our network and have seen many times over how a befriending relationship can positively impact the lives of both people involved, and beyond.
Catherine
​Springfield Hospital referred me to BBN in the pandemic after I suffered a particularly traumatic crisis and was very isolated. I have borderline personality disorder and ADHD, and BBN was just what I needed. Having someone call me every week or sometimes meet was invaluable in helping me feel less isolated. I’ve had three befrienders and am still a befriendee. I felt honoured after being asked to become a trustee. It helped me to grow and advance in my life. My lived experience of mental illness with my two siblings and myself provides valuable insight into mental illness. Through extensive therapy I've learnt and practise valuable coping skills. I hope to pass my knowledge/skills onto other members of BBN.
Marcus
I'm a befriender at BBN and following the training have been successfully matched with a befriendee for over a year after retiring from my full time career. I was attracted to BBN because big cities like London are a hotbed of social isolation and I think many of us can relate to anxiety or know of someone with depression. As a parent of two, I feel my experience of caring is relevant to my befriending role. The benefit I get from being a BBN volunteer is to give something back and to meet new people: the befriendee who has become a friend and the other befrienders whom we meet up with regularly.
Wanjiru (Mercy)
I was drawn to Battersea Befriending Network because of having lived experience and wanting to give back to the community.
My role at BBN is a board trustee and leading the monthly outing to the Chelsea Physic Gardens.
Elisabeth
I joined BBN as befriender to better understand experiences of mental ill-health locally following my own adversity. Also I wanted to go beyond my own bubble and meet different kinds of people. Currently I’m a trustee. I want to help improve online communication and understanding of the social/emotional viewpoints of people in befriendee circumstances. I'd also like to demonstrate the value of social prescribing like befriending and creative health (arts/music/nature).
Vicky
I originally joined BBN in 2017 as a befriender, and then as a mentor. I have been a trustee since 2021 and in this role have been involved in the website and data management. I was drawn to BBN as I was (at the time) an aspiring psychologist and wanted to support people in my local community. I am now a qualified Clinical Psychologist, and I have been able to apply a lot of my learnings from BBN to my professional role and vice versa!
Richard
As a co-founder of BBN, I have been a befriender and mentor since the scheme started in 2009. I first became aware of the value of befriending through participating in a similar scheme in the neighbouring borough of Merton (now no longer operating), but my experience over 14 years as BBN’s befriending coordinator has demonstrated that value a hundred times over.
Sarah
I’m chair of BBN, a community activist and also part of Sound Minds, a charity in Wandsworth helping people through music, film and art. I love living and working in Battersea. I believe it takes a village to raise a child, and we have a great network of people and groups that have built and sustained our village. I’ve been part of the community for over 50 years.