Talking Bubble

Most of us feel lonely from time to time. Still, some of us are at a greater risk as other factors contribute to this crippling feeling, such as moving to another country & not knowing the language as a first language, old age, social anxiety, living alone, and many more. Wanting to connect and commute is a very humane treat, and we believe nobody who desires to feel connected should feel lonely. Having said that, as Dialogue Society, in partnership with Time to Help UK, we aim to start a befriending campaign to connect and bring people together to tackle loneliness. With our project, “Talking Bubble”, we will create a phone-befriending service that matches people most at risk of loneliness with bilingual volunteers to get in touch with one another, get to know, check in on each other, and most importantly, create friendships that will make life better.  

Purpose  

 The purpose of the project includes:  

• Supporting people most at risk of loneliness   
• Effective services to address and tackle loneliness   
• Building bridges and dialogue amongst communities   
• Inspiring people to connect with others   
• End chronic loneliness by establishing friendships  
• Creating social connections and maintaining wellbeing   
• Boosting morale and spirit 

Aims, Outcomes and Milestones

• Beneficiaries will be encouraged to maintain their current interests and/or activities.  
• Project workers and volunteers will encourage and support the formation of autonomous interest groups and new social networks. 
• Encourage more people to volunteer as befrienders, including school and college students. 
• Volunteers are also potential project beneficiaries, a role that can change over time as people’s short and long-term situation changes. 
• Improve self-sufficiency and community-sufficiency in travel which will provide a substantial asset to the community and individuals 
• Assist in identifying issues and supporting needs 
• To encourage individuals to take part in activities outside their homes  
• To monitor and track the progress and outcomes of the project. This will include the use of soft outcomes measures (e.g. Outcomes Star for older people). 
• External evaluation of the project will be initiated from the outset of the project through commissioning a research study. This will influence the nature of the data collected. Reports from the external evaluation will be regularly submitted to the steering committee for consideration and action.