At the No.1 Befriending Agency, our wonderful volunteers and befriendees are facing the challenge of communicating by phone. Some long-term relationships are well established but other fledgling relationships are just starting out. It is strange times when our members are unable to see each other, read body language for social cues, or even show each other the physical things that really interest them - like that really good book they read the other week!  

So, here are some ideas of fun things that you and your befriendee can do during lockdown, and maybe even continue with beyond. 

1) If you share a particular passion, use it to the full - such as cooking the same meal from a particular recipe during the week and then comparing notes on how it turned out. Maybe there is a TV show that you are both interested in - half the fun is watching it separately and the other half is dissecting it later. You could do one thing regularly or try a different activity each week.  Even when you are apart you are still connected.

2) You could set each other challenges each week. Small tasks that are easy to achieve can keep everyone entertained all week long. Some examples might be the challenge to create a short quiz for each other - five easy questions with no pressure on getting the answer right, because if the other person doesn't know the answer you can share interesting facts. Alternatively, you could set the challenge of your befriendee taking a short walk each day, drawing a picture, or even just attempting a challenging household task. In fact, finding out which small activity suits your befriendee is a great way to get to know them better, especially if you are in a new pairing. It can very satisfying because all that matters is that you celebrate your small successes. 

3) The reminiscing heritage project is a great way to find out more about your befriendee, too. We are aiming to capture peoples' lives and also the part of history they lived in. This is a unique opportunity to preserve personal memories that might stay untold and forgotten, and to change the image of older people from observers to active doers. Being heard by those with a genuine interest gives the older generation a sense of value and can improve their self-respect. Moreover, sharing oral histories and personal memories are a highly effective way to connect communities and generations. For more information on this, contact info@befriend.org.uk .

4) It's ok to talk about Covid. It is happening everywhere and it is positive to talk about it without focusing on the negatives. Everyone will have their own experiences and it can be good to acknowledge that and listen to each other. There might even be things that each of you have discovered during lockdown.

5) At this time, it seems that newspapers are just full of Covid news but they can be used to the max by utilising the crosswords that appear in many publications weekly. By buying the same paper and trying the same crossword, you can come together and prepare answers - or maybe even hold off and have a go at it together.

There will be many other ideas, too, and we look forward to hearing of the success stories as our fledgling telephone befriending relationships unfold.