As we get older, our social circles diminish, and we find ourselves with fewer and fewer people to turn to. Imagine realising one day that all your friends and family have gone from your life ...
Call companion (Telephone chit chats)
Contact person
Scan me or visit www.getinvolvedcoventry.org.uk/o/ReEngage/activities/Call-companion-Telephone-chit-chats/85308 to join
Summary
Become a Telephone Friend - Help Break the Three-Month Wait ListDetailed description
Do you have time for a chat?
We’re urgently seeking call companions - volunteers who’ll make regular phone calls to older people waiting for friendship and connection. Right now, there’s a 3-month waiting list for those needing a call companion, due to increased need across the UK. Your voice could shorten that wait.
What’s involved? A simple, meaningful role:
- Once matched, you’ll chat for around 30 minutes, weekly or fortnightly — at a time that suits you both
- Follow our friendly guidance to make calls engaging, respectful, and supportive
- Stay in touch with our coordination team; flag any concerns
- Keep updated via our volunteer newsletter and resources
- It’s all done from home — flexible, low-key, and kind.
Who we’re looking for:
You don’t need a special degree or years of experience — just qualities that make you human and compassionate:
- Friendly, patient, and kind
- Good listener, curious, able to ask questions
- Able to commit for at least 12 months
- Comfortable using basic online tools (for training, check-ins, etc.)
- Aged 18+
We provide a 30-minute group induction, identity checks, references, and online training.
Why this matters, and why it matters for you too:
For the older person
Many are socially isolated, cut off from community and conversation. A regular phone call can become a lifeline of friendship, reducing loneliness and helping people feel seen, heard, and remembered.
For you — volunteering that boosts you
It’s not just altruism — being a call companion can improve your own wellbeing.
- Volunteering is linked with greater life satisfaction, lower stress, and improved mood
- Building a relationship with someone different from your usual circle can broaden perspective
- It gives you a meaningful, regular purpose — knowing your time really matters
You’ll also be supported and appreciated; from training, team check-ins, to volunteer recognition with our annual awards.
What’s needed from you:
- A reliable time slot for the calls
- Consistency for at least 12 months
- Readiness to engage — but also to simply listen
- An online connection (phone, internet)
Take the first step
- If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, and can commit to, we’d love to hear from you!
About Re-engage
Re-engage is making life less lonely for thousands of older people every year. Older people tell us that our volunteer-led activities make them happier and more able to trust others.
Our tea parties are monthly social groups open to people aged 75 and over, and give older people regular afternoons of conversation and laughter with friends of all ages.
"Something to look forward to each month"
Call companions is our telephone befriending service ensuring older people stay connected to the outside world. Call companions is available to anyone aged 75 and over who’s socially isolated and would like a regular chat over the phone with a friendly volunteer.
”Before this, I used to feel so lonely”
Our activity groups give people 75 and over the chance to do gentle exercise as they make connections with other people. Our activity groups in Birmingham, Bristol and the South West, London, Manchester, the Scottish Borders, Wales, and West Yorkshire, take place both face to face and online.
"Friendly, kind, helpful, happy people to mix with"
The period around Christmas can be difficult for anyone on their own. During December, our Christmas call companions service offers lonely or isolated older people a weekly chat over the telephone with a friendly volunteer.
All our services are free to older people.