Promoting Positive Mental Health through Befriending

Abstract

This paper provides a profile of a voluntary sector neighbourhood befriending service which arose in response to an unmet need within a local community. The origins and development of the service are discussed in the context of the local socioeconomic conditions which prevailed at the time. The discussion includes a consideration of befriending as an international and national movement, and an overview of concepts relevant to the nature and the enterprise of befriending. The organisation is profiled through a consideration of its structure and modus operandi and the support structures involved in the management of the befriending processes. A brief research review illustrates the emerging evidence on befriending, highlighting its potential as a significant health-promoting intervention in health and social care. The service is set within the national policy framework, and the future prospects for befriending as a significant intervention are explored through a discussion of its relationship to the development of social capital and health gain in local communities.