Befriended was set up in 2017 with the mission of ending loneliness and isolation among older people living in Mid Sussex.

The charity also offers bereavement support to people of all ages through its Compassionate Conversations course, Grief Cafes and Company lunch club.

Befriended offers a range of services to older people living in the Mid Sussex area. This includes the towns of Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill, along with the surrounding villages such as Lindfield, Hassocks, Hurstpierpoint and Cuckfield.

Befriended has only one full-time member of staff and one part-time administrator, who are helped by an amazing team of volunteers. For more information on volunteering, click here.

Some statistics on what Befriended did in 2023:

  • Hosted over 1000 older people for afternoon tea
  • Held over 40 exercise classes
  • Helped over 100 bereaved people with our grief course
  • Delivered chaplaincy to over 1000 people in care homes
  • Took 126 older people on theatre trips & outings
  • Launched a new weekly community choir with over 40 regular attendees
  • Started a grief café in two venues
  • Hosted over 80 people for Christmas lunch

In 2023, our CEO and Founder Gail Millar was one of only 500 people in the UK to be presented with a Coronation Champion Award to recognise her contribution to the community.