Befriending and advocacy services for older people in Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets Friends & Neighbours (THFN) is a befriending and advocacy charity for older residents of the borough. We support people aged 55 and over who are experiencing loneliness or social isolation. All our services are free.

Most of the people we visit are over 80. Many are in their 90s. The majority live with at least one long-term health condition, limited mobility, or both — and describe themselves as housebound. Around 97% are referred to us with depression, and over 40% are living with dementia. Loneliness is not soft. The research is clear: chronic loneliness in older age carries a mortality risk comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. A regular visitor is not a small thing.

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Home befriending visits — the heart of what we do

A trained befriender visits at a day and time agreed with the person we are supporting, usually weekly. Visits are about company first — conversation, a cup of tea, a familiar face — and practical help when it is needed: a letter that needs reading, a phone call that needs making, an appointment to arrange. Between visits we are at the end of the phone, and we are particularly available when something has gone wrong or someone is feeling low.

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Advocacy: speaking up, together

When a health appointment is confusing, a benefit decision feels wrong, or a care service is not delivering what it should, we help. Sometimes that means coaching someone through it so they can speak for themselves. Sometimes it means stepping in directly — writing letters, attending meetings, making the calls. We are particularly experienced with welfare benefits, housing, and social care assessments.

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Help with health and social care appointments

We accompany people to GP and hospital appointments. We help them understand what has been said, what happens next, and how to follow up. We help with prescriptions, social care assessments, and the everyday tangle of forms and processes that can feel impossible alone. Our team includes Bengali, Sylheti and Hindi speakers, alongside other community languages spoken across Tower Hamlets.

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Outings and monthly Get Togethers

Several times a year we organise group outings, with a minibus that picks people up from their doors and one-to-one support throughout the day. The people we visit choose where we go. 

We also host a monthly Get Together at the Bernie Cameron Community Centre in Bow — a chance for older people in the borough to meet, make new connections and enjoy a hot lunch together. Pre-booking is essential. Email us to find out about the next session.

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Activities at home

For people who would rather stay in, we bring activities to them —  seated exercise, crafts, reminiscence work. Our Life Stories project gathered memories of wartime and post-war East London into a booklet, “Tin Baths and Doodlebugs”, which captures something of the borough’s history through the voices of the people we visit.

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Information and signposting

We hold detailed knowledge of other services across Tower Hamlets — for housing, benefits, learning, leisure, end-of-life support and more — and we connect people to whatever else they need.

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Who we can support

Our service is for people who:

  • Live in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
  • Are aged 55 or over
  • Are experiencing loneliness or social isolation

We are a befriending and advocacy service, not a clinical one. If someone needs active treatment for severe mental illness or addiction, there are specialist services better placed to help, and we will gladly help work out the right route. If you are not sure whether someone is right for our service, call us on 020 3007 9120 — a conversation costs nothing.

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Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost?

Our befriending, advocacy, home visits and phone support are all free. 

How often does a befriender visit?

Most befriending matches are weekly. The day and time are agreed between the befriender and the person being visited, and can change to suit them.

Can a befriender speak my relative’s language?

Our team includes Bengali, Sylheti. Urdu and Hindi speakers, and we work hard to match people in language wherever possible. Tell us about language needs on the referral form.

Can THFN support someone living with dementia?

Yes. Over 40% of the people we visit are living with dementia. All our staff are Dementia Friends Champions and we work closely with the Alzheimer’s Society.

How quickly will you visit after a referral?

We aim to acknowledge referrals within seven working days and contact the person within fourteen  working days to arrange an assessment.