Dementia Befriending Service

Quarriers Dementia Befriending Service aims to provide companionship and encouragement to people with dementia, using befriending as a means of reducing isolation and helping them stay as mentally and physically active as possible. It will also support people with mild to moderate dementia to continue to live in their own homes for as long as possible and provide extra support for full time family carers.

The service will provide people with dementia in Largs and the Three Towns area of North Ayrshire with a volunteer befriender, and over a five year period, the service will gradually expand to cover the whole of North Ayrshire.

Volunteer befrienders can offer consistent and meaningful relationships for a person with dementia, out-with their immediate circle of care. Befrienders also provide encouragement to people with dementia to have more confidence in what they can do, rather than concentrating on what they can’t do – thereby reducing isolation and helping people stay as mentally and physically active as possible.

This service was made possible with support from the Life Changes Trust, funded by the Big Lottery Fund.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, access to Quarriers offices is very restricted, with most teams working remotely for the foreseeable future. Face to face meetings are no longer taking place and we advise anyone with any enquiries to contact us by email.

For more information on the service, and how to refer, please contact the Dementia Befriending Service Coordinator directly on 01294 444450 or 07812 228 447. You can also email us: volunteer.centre@quarriers.org.uk

Referrals are accepted from a range of sources including GPs, adult health and community services, dementia community teams, other voluntarily or independent organisations as well as self referral.

If you would like to volunteer as a befriender you can call 01505 616109, use the email above, apply online or fill out our application form (MS Word Document)