BEfriend (formerly The Volunteer Link Scheme) is a registered charity (no 1072538) established in 1994. We provide one-to-one volunteer befriending to people within the London Borough of Ealing who are socially isolated because of physical, sensory, cognitive or psychological impairment. Our core project supports people who are isolated and housebound without support. They may have a physical or sensory disability, or they may have mild dementia. Our Linked Minds project provides specialist befriending for adults who are isolated because of a diagnosed mental health condition. Our Carers Short Breaks project is funded by Ealing Council and we are part of the Carers Pathway, a group of six organisations who provide this service. For this project, our volunteers visit someone for 3 hours a week so their carer (usually a family member) can go and have a break from their caring role. We do not charge for any of our support, and regularly fundraise to ensure we can continue to provide our support free of charge to our clients. If you would like to become a volunteer befriender, you can apply via our website.