West Leeds Befriender Service by Creative Frame CIC to Continue

Key Points

• West Leeds Befriender Service was launched last year by Creative Frame CIC to provide peer support to vulnerable adults in West Leeds.
• The project has been financed by a National Lottery Community grant and is now approaching the end of this phase of funding.
• Despite the grant period ending, the service will continue operating as it receives referrals from organisations including Linking Leeds.​
• Creative Frame CIC director Jonathan Parker says dedicated volunteer befrienders provide personalised support and compassionate companionship to combat loneliness.
• The service uses regular social media interaction, phone calls and shared activities to foster meaningful connections, boost confidence and improve wellbeing.
• Creative Frame CIC runs a variety of groups and activities designed to bring people together and reduce feelings of loneliness.
• A Sunday walking group forms one strand of the Befriender Service, giving people a chance to socialise and spend time in nature in a relaxed, supportive environment.​
• The Befriender Service ran a Men’s Group Facilitation training course in the summer and recruited its first cohort of volunteers to provide peer support.​
• Volunteer support can include weekly check-ins with the same befriender, practical support in attending groups and signposting and advocacy to other services.
• The project can connect people with coaching, mentoring and therapy services where needed, drawing on Creative Frame CIC’s wider offer.
• Jonathan Parker is currently making a film about the Befriender Service as part of the monitoring process required by the funding, to demonstrate the impact in West Leeds.​
• The service is seeking to raise further awareness both among people who may benefit from support and among potential volunteer befrienders.
• The West Leeds Befriender Service is not a crisis service and is not intended for emergency mental health situations.​
• People can find out more or express interest through Creative Frame CIC contact channels, including social media and email.

West Leeds Dispatch (The Leeds Times) January 27, 2026 – West Leeds Befriender Service, a community peer-support project run by Creative Frame CIC, will continue its work with vulnerable adults in West Leeds even as its initial National Lottery Community grant funding approaches its end, according to director Jonathan Parker.

How did the West Leeds Befriender Service start and what is its purpose?

As reported by the unnamed reporter of West Leeds Dispatch, the West Leeds Befriender Service was launched last year by community interest company Creative Frame CIC to provide peer support to vulnerable adults living in West Leeds. The initiative was developed to address social isolation and loneliness, particularly for people who may find it difficult to access conventional services or activities on their own.

According to the service description published by MindWell Leeds, the West Leeds Befriender Service is designed to uplift vulnerable adults through one-to-one and group-based befriending, with volunteers offering personalised support and companionship. As outlined on Creative Frame CIC’s own service information, the aim is to offer compassionate companionship that helps people feel less alone while building their confidence and sense of connection to the local community.

How has the project been funded and why is funding important now?

As reported by the West Leeds Dispatch news item, the West Leeds Befriender Service has been financed by a National Lottery Community grant, supporting its launch phase and early development. This external funding has underpinned the recruitment and training of volunteers, the development of group activities and the coordination required to run a structured befriending scheme.

The same West Leeds Dispatch report notes that this funding is now approaching its end, creating an important juncture for the project’s future. While the core befriending work will continue, the conclusion of the initial grant period places greater focus on referrals, partnership working and potential new sources of support to sustain and expand the service.​

Will the West Leeds Befriender Service continue and how will it operate?

According to West Leeds Dispatch, Creative Frame CIC has confirmed that the Befriender Service will continue its work beyond the end of the initial National Lottery funding period, rather than closing when the grant term finishes. The article states that one of the key reasons the service can keep going is that it continues to receive referrals from other organisations, including local social prescribing service Linking Leeds.​

The MindWell Leeds service directory entry makes clear that the Befriender Service is intended as an ongoing support option, rather than a time-limited intervention, with volunteers maintaining regular contact through messages, calls and meet-ups. As described in Creative Frame CIC’s information on its West Leeds Befriender Service, this ongoing model is focused on building relationships over time so that people experience consistent support and a reliable point of contact.

What kind of support do volunteer befrienders provide?

As reported by the West Leeds Dispatch article, Creative Frame CIC director Jonathan Parker said: “Our dedicated befrienders provide personalised support, and offer compassionate companionship to combat loneliness.” The same piece highlights that the volunteers’ role is not only to be present, but also to help people engage with groups and activities that can make a long-term difference to their wellbeing.​

The MindWell Leeds description explains that volunteer befrienders stay in touch through social media interaction, phone calls and shared activities, helping to create meaningful connections and boost confidence. Creative Frame CIC’s service description adds that this support can include regular weekly check-ins with the same volunteer, practical help with attending groups and events, and signposting or advocacy when people need to access other services.

What groups and activities are run under the Befriender Service?

As reported by the West Leeds Dispatch, Creative Frame runs a variety of groups and activities alongside the one-to-one befriending, all designed to bring people together and reduce feelings of loneliness. These activities form part of a wider programme of social connection in West Leeds, giving people different ways to get involved depending on their interests and needs.​

One example highlighted by West Leeds Dispatch is the Sunday walking group, which sits under the Befriender Service. The article notes that this walking group offers people a chance to socialise, spend time outdoors and connect with others in a relaxed, supportive environment where there is no pressure to talk more than they feel comfortable with.​

How are volunteers trained and supported to deliver peer support?

According to West Leeds Dispatch, the Befriender Service ran a Men’s Group Facilitation training course during the summer and, through that process, recruited its first cohort of volunteers to provide peer support. The report indicates that this training was intended to equip volunteers with the skills to support men’s peer groups, including listening skills, group facilitation techniques and an understanding of boundaries.​

The same article explains that after completing the training, these volunteers began delivering peer support through the West Leeds Befriender Service, offering both group-based and one-to-one contact. This training-based approach to recruitment is consistent with Creative Frame CIC’s broader emphasis, as seen in its coaching and mentoring information, on blending lived experience with structured learning so that volunteers feel confident and supported in their roles.

What additional services can people be connected with through the project?

As reported by West Leeds Dispatch, the West Leeds Befriender Service is able to link people into a range of additional support where appropriate, beyond the core befriending relationship. This includes signposting to and advocacy with other services in the city when someone needs more specialist help than a volunteer befriender can provide alone.​

Creative Frame CIC’s own service information states that people supported by the project can also be connected with coaching, mentoring and therapy services, depending on their circumstances and goals. These offers sit within Creative Frame’s broader work on personal development and mental health support, meaning the Befriender Service can act as an entry point into a wider network of help for those who need it.​

How is the impact of the service being monitored and shared?

West Leeds Dispatch reports that Jonathan Parker is currently making a film about the West Leeds Befriender Service as part of the monitoring process required by the National Lottery funding. The film is intended to document the project’s activities and outcomes and to demonstrate the impact the service has had on individuals and communities in West Leeds.​

The same article indicates that this visual record will form part of the evidence supplied to funders and partners, alongside other monitoring data, to show how the grant money has been used and what difference it has made. As Creative Frame CIC’s broader communication approach, highlighted in its online material, emphasises storytelling and participant voices, it is likely that the film will feature testimonies and examples of how befriending has helped people feel more connected.

How does the service promote connection, confidence and wellbeing?

As described by MindWell Leeds, the West Leeds Befriender Service uses a mix of regular social media interaction, phone calls and shared activities to build meaningful connections between volunteers and the people they support. The directory entry emphasises that these ongoing contacts are intended to boost confidence and significantly enhance overall wellbeing for participants, particularly those who have felt isolated.​

Creative Frame CIC’s own wording on the Befriender Service underlines this approach, stating that volunteer befrienders provide personalised support and compassionate companionship to combat loneliness. The presence of groups such as the Sunday walking group, mentioned by West Leeds Dispatch, offers an additional route for people to enjoy gentle exercise, fresh air and informal conversation, all of which can contribute to improved mood and reduced isolation.

What message is Creative Frame CIC sending to the local community?

As reported by the unnamed journalist at West Leeds Dispatch, Jonathan Parker said that Creative Frame CIC now wants to promote further awareness of the West Leeds Befriender Service across the local community. The article quotes him explaining that the aim is to reach both people who might wish to access the service for support and those who may be interested in volunteering as befrienders.​

The service description published by MindWell Leeds echoes this call, encouraging people to get in touch if they feel lonely or socially isolated and might benefit from regular contact with a volunteer. Creative Frame CIC’s information indicates that it is also keen to hear from residents who would like to play a role in supporting others in West Leeds, reflecting a community-led model in which local people help one another to feel more connected.

How can people access the West Leeds Befriender Service and what are its limits?

According to MindWell Leeds, people can find out more about the West Leeds Befriender Service by joining the project’s Facebook group or emailing Creative Frame CIC using the contact details provided. This listing stresses that the service is designed as a befriending and peer-support offer and is not intended for crisis interventions or urgent mental health emergencies.​

The combination of the MindWell directory entry and Creative Frame CIC’s own information makes clear that those in immediate distress should use emergency or urgent care routes, while the Befriender Service focuses on ongoing social and emotional support. Meanwhile, West Leeds Dispatch’s reporting suggests that referrals via organisations such as Linking Leeds will continue to play a significant role in connecting people to the service as it moves beyond its initial funding period.