Caring Friends

Status: Ongoing

Evaluated

Cardiff Wales

Print this page City population: 36424814% over 60Practice started in 2024

Summary

Caring Friends is a Council-run, volunteer-led befriending service for unpaid carers in Cardiff. Volunteer Befrienders can support unpaid carers either as pen pals or through over the phone friendship calls, meeting unpaid carers in their home or other community venues, and occasionally helping with daily tasks such as shopping, light cleaning and gardening tasks.

The service was developed by the Community Volunteering Team, Care’diff and Independent Living Service at Cardiff Council. In 2022, Cardiff Council launched a Carers Respite Survey. Within this survey, respondents indicated that a befriending service would support unpaid carers to undertake the vital role they play. As a result, in 2024, the befriending service was launched as a pilot – 12 unpaid carers and 12 volunteers were recruited to trial the service. At the end of the pilot, the unpaid carers and volunteers who had taken part provided feedback. Changes were made to the service to meet the needs of those involved – including asking carers and volunteers to help co-design the name.

Since launching city-wide at the beginning of 2025, 49 unpaid carers have been supported as part of the service. Both carers and volunteers have reported positive outcomes from the service. One carer said, “It’s amazing how much can change in half an hour – from feeling overwhelmed to being able to unwind”. Both unpaid carers and volunteers say that they value the flexibility this service offers, and work is currently taking place to make the service even more accessible by providing a pen pal element to the service.

Key facts

Main target group: Older people in general

Other target group(s): Unpaid carers

Sector(s): Information and communication

Other sector(s): Volunteering, social inclusion

Desired outcome for older people:
Build and maintain relationships

Other issues the Age-friendly practice aims to address:

Inclusion

Contact details

Name: Nicola Pitman

Email address: nicola.pitman@cardiff.gov.uk

Age-friendly practice in detail (click to expand):

Engaging the wider community

Project lead: Local authorities

Others involved in the project:

Local authorities
Volunteers

How collaboration worked: By working with Care’diff and Independent Living Service colleagues, it was possible to utilise their knowledge and expertise to develop the service. Independent Living Service and Care’diff both refer unpaid carers into the service.

Older people’s involvement: Older people were involved in the age-friendly practice at multiple or all stages

Details on older people’s involvement: Many of the volunteers and unpaid carers are older people. They were involved in the pilot of service and consulted with to develop the service further. Consultation took place again recently through running an impact survey and the outcomes are being used to continue developing the service.

Moving forward

Has the impact of this age-friendly practice been analysed: Yes

Was the impact positive or negative:
Positive

Please share with us what you found in detail:
During the pilot, evaluation took place via surveys with both carers and volunteers and recently another impact survey was conducted.

Feedback:
“It has given me some confidence back. I used to speak on the phone in my old job a lot, but hadn’t done it in a while and was feeling a bit nervous about it, just because you don’t know what kind if mood someone on the other end will be in. Speaking to him though, I have realised I can do it again” – Volunteer Befriender “I feel uplifted after conversations, it helps to have someone to talk to when you would otherwise be alone” – Carer

Expansion plans:
Expansion of the service to include a pen pal element is now being explored – this would be for carers and volunteers who need more flexible opportunities to build friendships. Also, work is taking place to develop carers support groups where carers can meet other people experiencing similar things to them.

Looking back

Challenges:
Carers referred into the service often find it difficult to juggle their caring responsibilities on top of maintaining contact with befrienders. A pen pal option is being introduced in response to this so that carers can reply when they’re able to rather than having to schedule calls or meet ups.