Befrienders hold a special role in our Hospices, working directly with the children. They are the largest group of volunteers across our sites who work alongside our care teams, with 47 volunteers giving their support alongside work, family commitments and studying. Many commit to a weekly or fortnightly befriending session, but the role can also be flexible to fit people’s busy lives, for example our students who return in in the holidays.
Meet our Volunteer Befrienders
Meet our Volunteer Befrienders
2nd October 2025
What do Befrienders do?
Befrienders bring much needed social and emotional support to children and families and the Care team. Their contributions bring companionship, comfort, respite, brightness and fun by engaging in play and activities. They also provide links to the community that strengthen connections for Acorns leading to further support and partnerships.
Befrienders follow a person-centred approach; they are led by the children’s interests and preferences which helps volunteers to make positive and meaningful connections with the children and families. Many of our befrienders will build lasting bonds with children who we care for over the years and become an important part of their stays with us, that they look forward to.
Volunteering at Acorns
One of the nurses at our Birmingham Hospice said “Our Befriending volunteers bring positive energy, diversity, creativity and connection. When a child is visited by a befriender it’s like being visited by a brother, sister, friend or grandparent.’
Danielle, a Befriender at the Birmingham Hospice, said “My role as a befriender at Acorns is very rewarding and humbling. I can see my support is appreciated, so it inspires me to do more. Being a volunteer who also lives locally I have been able to make connections and help to build good partnerships with local businesses, churches and other community sources.”
Melissa, a Play & Activities Assistant, started her journey as a Befriending Volunteer. She told us “I started life at Acorns as a Volunteer Befriender. I always felt valued and part of the Acorns family. Volunteering gave me an opportunity to fine tune my skills in a specialist setting. It was such a rewarding role and volunteering helped me gain the job role that I now really enjoy”
Thank you to our Volunteer Befrienders
Thanks to your ongoing support, we’re able to recruit, train and care for volunteers and in turn, they help us provide exceptional experiences for the children and families who rely on Acorns.
Every donation, every fundraising event, every act of kindness makes this possible. You help us create joyful, meaningful moments and you support the volunteers who make them happen.
To our Befriending Volunteers – and to you – thank you.