Befriending Service

Experiencing the loss of a baby can feel incredibly isolating, and many bereaved parents find comfort in speaking to someone who truly understands what they are going through. Our Befriending Service connects individuals and families who have recently experienced baby loss with trained volunteer befrienders who have their own lived experience of loss and are further along in their grief journey.

The service offers a safe, compassionate space to share feelings, ask questions, and receive emotional support from someone who has walked a similar path. While our befrienders are not counsellors or therapists, they can provide understanding, empathy, and hope during what can be an incredibly difficult time. Each befriender is carefully selected, interviewed, and vetted to help ensure a positive and supportive experience for everyone involved.

Request Befriending Support

If you would like to be matched with a befriender, please complete our Befriending Service application form using the link below.

What happens next?

We will review your application and use the information provided to find a suitable befriender.
Wherever possible, we will match you with someone who has a similar experience of baby loss and can offer relevant peer support.
While we will always try to find the best match, we cannot guarantee an exact match.
Matching can take time, and the process may take up to one month depending on volunteer availability.

Important information

Our Befriending Service provides peer support from Little Wings of Hope trained volunteers with lived experience of baby loss.
The service is not a counselling, therapy, or crisis support service.
In some cases, befriending may not be the most appropriate form of support. If this applies, we will discuss this with you and, where possible, signpost you to more suitable professional services.
Any information you share as part of the application process will be treated sensitively and confidentially.

Become A Befriender

What we're looking for

Our befrienders are compassionate individuals with lived experience of baby loss who are able to listen without judgement, offer emotional support, and respect appropriate boundaries. We recognise that every grief journey is different, and we are looking for volunteers who can provide empathy, understanding, and encouragement to others navigating their own loss. This is a flexible volunteering opportunity but one that needs to meet the needs of those seeking support.

Successful volunteers will receive

Full onboarding and guidance from the Little Wings of Hope team.
Training to help you understand the role and responsibilities of a befriender.
Ongoing emotional support and access to additional training opportunities.
The opportunity to make a meaningful difference to bereaved parents and families.

Applying to support others

If you are considering volunteering as a befriender, please complete our Application Form using the link below.

What happens next?

Once we receive your application we will review the information and invite those suitable for an informal discussion on supporting others as a befriender.
You will be asked to provide two personal references from people who have known you for at least two years.
Successful applicants will be required to attend our Volunteer Befriender Training and onboarding programme before being matched with anyone seeking support.
To remain an active befriender, volunteers must attend at least one of our online training events each year.

Once all onboarding, training, references, and other requirements have been successfully completed, you will be eligible to begin supporting individuals through our Befriending Service.

Apply Now