Cáirdeas Befriending and Support Service

About

Cáirdeas (pronounced Caredis) is a volunteer befriending service delivered and supported by Oban Hospice in partnership with Highland Hospice Helping Hands Service. It aims to provide social and emotional support to people in Oban and surroundings living with cancer or life limiting conditions.

Following an initial assessment by the Cáirdeas Co-ordinator,  the person is matched to their own volunteer befriender who provides social and practical support in an informal way. Volunteer befrienders will visit regularly offering a listening ear. They will not become involved in personal care, medical care, counselling, domestic tasks such as cooking or cleaning, nor financial or legal matters.


Contact the Cáirdeas (Befriending and Support Service) Co-ordinator at the Dove Centre on
01631 561315 or 07592633251.
Email - margot.macleod@obanhospice.org.uk

Cairdeas Highland Hospice


Get Involved

Befriending is a rewarding role for both befriender and befriended and brings together community and individual.  Time is taken in matching volunteers with a person and the relationship between each Cáirdeas volunteer and the person they support is unique. The amount of time and activities will vary but every volunteer will provide a friendly ear to listen and support the individual.
Cáirdeas volunteers may participate in:

  • Short car trips/outings.
  • Chat about local or national news.
  • Read with a person.
  • Help with a hobby.
  • Help with practical tasks such as writing letters.
  • Provide emotional support at times of change or difficulty.
  • Accompany to medical appointments or a social group.

Volunteers will not become involved in personal care, medical care, counselling, domestic tasks such as cooking or cleaning, nor financial or legal matters.

Cairdeas Coffee

If you are interested in becoming a Cairdeàs befriender we would be delighted to talk to you about the role. If you are not sure it is for you, Highland Hospice have an ‘Introductory to Befriending’ Zoom session we can arrange for you to attend.

If it is something you would like to pursue we ask you to complete one of our application forms and go through the usual disclosure checks prior to starting. Highland Hospice offer regular information and training sessions, and we ask you to attend the Adult Protection and the Moving and Handling Courses. Other sessions which may be of interest and would benefit the role are also available.

How to apply

Contact the Cáirdeas (Befriending and Support Service) Co-ordinator, Margot MacLeod, at the Dove Centre to enquire about this role, phone 01631 561315 or 07592633251.
Email - margot.macleod@obanhospice.org.uk