Berwickshire Housing Association - Befriend Project

Charity registered in Scotland SC042342

Berwickshire Housing Association owns, manages and builds homes to rent to suit a range of lifestyles, personal needs and family sizes that people can afford. We do so in communities throughout Berwickshire.

We are a not for profit charity so all our income goes towards providing services for the community, the upkeep of our customers’ homes and building new homes.

Our vision
BHA’s vision “To Realise the Power of Home” places our focus very much on the importance of home which goes beyond bricks and mortar.
We believe everyone has the right to a high quality, safe and affordable home and a good quality of life.
BHA has a role to play in enabling both of these outcomes for our customers.

Our values
Our values underpin everything that we do. They inform our decisions, how we show up and they way we treat each other.
They shape our organisation and how our customers and communities experience us.

Brilliant Basics
Doing what we say we’ll do, communicating well, taking a person-centred approach in our dealings with
both customers and colleagues, taking ownership and accountability.

Embrace Change
Actively supporting and embedding change, being flexible and adaptable, a commitment to
continuous improvement and actively seeking best practice.

Learn & Grow
A willingness to participate and learn, support the learning and wellbeing of others, providing learning and
development opportunities.

Inspire Together
Collaborate internally and externally, being approachable, helpful and kind,
being non-judgemental, displaying emotional intelligence.


Current opportunities

Our volunteers offer informal companionship to people aged 65 and over in Berwickshire and Kelso. Use your life experience and the skills you’ve picked up along the way to help older people in our community. You will get so much in return – new friendships, laughter and fun, greater self -confidence, renewed purpose, and energy. Volunteering can be a great addition to your CV. There are lots of different ways you can get involved with BeFriend, you could: • Visit a befriendee • Become a telephone befriender • Help with our group activities • Provide transport to our group activities Here’s what our volunteers say: “Listening is a wonderful thing to be able to do for someone who needs to talk, it can change a person’s life.” “It doesn’t feel like volunteering now! I just visit a friend every week to catch up.” Benefits to volunteers: The chance to give something back to your community. The chance to get to know your community. Better confidence. Become part of our friendly team and help reduce loneliness and isolation.

Our volunteers offer informal companionship to people aged 65 and over in Berwickshire and Kelso. Use your life experience and the skills you’ve picked up along the way to help older people in our community. You will get so much in return – new friendships, laughter and fun, greater self -confidence, renewed purpose, and energy. Volunteering can be a great addition to your CV. There are lots of different ways you can get involved with BeFriend, you could: • Visit a befriendee • Become a telephone befriender • Help with our group activities • Provide transport to our group activities Here’s what our volunteers say: “Listening is a wonderful thing to be able to do for someone who needs to talk, it can change a person’s life.” “It doesn’t feel like volunteering now! I just visit a friend every week to catch up.” Benefits to volunteers: The chance to give something back to your community. The chance to get to know your community. Better confidence. Become part of our friendly team and help reduce loneliness and isolation.

Our volunteers offer informal companionship to people aged 65 and over in Berwickshire and Kelso. Use your life experience and the skills you’ve picked up along the way to help older people in our community. You will get so much in return – new friendships, laughter and fun, greater self -confidence, renewed purpose, and energy. Volunteering can be a great addition to your CV. There are lots of different ways you can get involved with BeFriend, you could: • Visit a befriendee • Become a telephone befriender • Help with our group activities • Provide transport to our group activities Here’s what our volunteers say: “Listening is a wonderful thing to be able to do for someone who needs to talk, it can change a person’s life.” “It doesn’t feel like volunteering now! I just visit a friend every week to catch up.” Benefits to volunteers: The chance to give something back to your community. The chance to get to know your community. Better confidence. Become part of our friendly team and help reduce loneliness and isolation.

Our volunteers offer informal companionship to people aged 65 and over in Berwickshire and Kelso. Use your life experience and the skills you’ve picked up along the way to help older people in our community. You will get so much in return – new friendships, laughter and fun, greater self -confidence, renewed purpose, and energy. Volunteering can be a great addition to your CV. There are lots of different ways you can get involved with BeFriend, you could: • Visit a befriendee • Become a telephone befriender • Help with our group activities • Provide transport to our group activities Here’s what our volunteers say: “Listening is a wonderful thing to be able to do for someone who needs to talk, it can change a person’s life.” “It doesn’t feel like volunteering now! I just visit a friend every week to catch up.” Benefits to volunteers: The chance to give something back to your community. The chance to get to know your community. Better confidence. Become part of our friendly team and help reduce loneliness and isolation.