Our befrienders find volunteering and giving back to the community to be a rewarding activity. If you would like to make new friends, try something new, whether on a weekly or monthly basis, call us to out more. – Join our Team.

“I have been volunteering for Belive for just over four months now and I have been enjoying every second of it. I strongly believe in this organization’s goals and try my best to support them in any way that I can. I admire how Belive set out to help individuals not only improve loneliness but also confidence and their general mental state. It has shown me how impactful the effect of just having a single conversation a week with another individual can have.

Talking with my beneficiary is an enjoyable and rewarding experience and I look forward to our weekly calls where we are able to talk comfortably and discuss anything that they may want to talk about. Belive is filled with friendly and passionate people who as a group share a lot of the same aims, especially when it comes to lending a hand to people in need. I have felt very supported since joining and I appreciate the effort that is made to provide training as well as a safe space to discuss any issues or ideas that we may have as individuals or as a group. All in all, Belive is a passionate and committed group of people who provide support to individuals with unique goals of their own.” Tamera Welsh

“This February, shortly after retiring, I knew that I wanted to get involved with Belive, to make a difference to people, in whatever way that I could.

After applying I was accepted for interview. Then followed online training sessions, and once I got the green light from Disclosure and Barring Services [DBS Check], I was ready to be allocated to my first beneficiary. I was very nervous about talking to my first beneficiary for the first time. Despite my Nursing career I wasn’t a trained Councillor, I felt I might not have all the necessary skills to be able to help someone. I soon realised that just providing time and space to someone on a regular basis just to chat can make a big difference, it can break the isolation. I was matched up to a beneficiary and had a profile that indicated overall, there were people in the community who needed someone to talk to on a regular basis. So, within a few weeks l had 3 befriending partnerships who l would contact regularly. Since then, l have befriended 3 people, two who are male, and a female. They have had a wide range of mental health problems from anxiety to a diagnosis of schizophrenia and who are from different backgrounds but have one thing in common, living alone and occasional social isolation. I regularly speak to them on various topics and have developed a strong friendship, just making contact by phone. It’s great to know they look forward to my calls, and l feel is doing something useful in my spare time now that I am retired. My next step is to meet one of my beneficiaries socially, which might mean going to a pub or having a coffee out or a similar activity. ” Jacques Beriro

Contact Us

We are always looking for more people to join our team at Belive Medway. If you would like to get in contact with BELIVE to talk about volunteering, becoming a trustee, need a befriender or anything else. Email: belivemedway@outlook.com                               Phone: 079 7769 6658 

The Trustees

Our trustees are recruited because they are committed to the purposes and aims of Belive, adhere to the policies and procedures of Belive and ethos of the charity commission.

I joined Belive as a trustee in August 2019.  I have a business background and many years’ experience as a CEO, and MD of two national /international brands. Currently, I work as a non-executor director for a range of businesses, including my own business and franchise consultancy service, for new business start-up and business restructuring projects.

Trustee: Joe Wastell

I have been a trustee for Belive since 2019. I am also the founder of a Community Interest Group (CIC) called Disability Medway Network CIC. As a group, we both raise awareness and champion people with hidden and visible disabilities.

Trustee: Mark Anderson

I have been working with people who have a learning disability for over 20 years. I am a Registered Nurse (Learning Disabilities) and work as a manager of community learning disability services. I am passionate about promoting social inclusion for people with disabilities and tackling loneliness and isolation. I have been a Trustee for Belive since 2020.

Trustee: Dona Evans

My name is Dona Evans, I became a Belive Trustee in 2021. I have been an independent trainer since 2006. I deliver a wide selection of training courses for Health & Social Care organizations across Kent. My professional career prior to becoming a trainer spanned 20 years in the care sector, having the opportunity to work with a variety of client groups and in a variety of different roles that included 12 years in various management positions.

Trustee: Denece Deacon