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Marmalade Companions
Supporting members to make meaningful new connections
What is the Marmalade Companions project?
Marmalade Companions supports those in our community who are the most socially isolated, and who experience chronic loneliness (feeling lonely all or most of the time).
It's a time-limited, one-to-one project, from February until July each year across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. Based on the enabling/empowering social prescribing model, trained volunteers make weekly calls to members focusing on their specific needs and interests.
These conversations lead to volunteers signposting them to local social activities and community support, to improve their social connections. Marmalade Companions is not a 'befriending call project'.​ We know loneliness can have a negative impact on health and wellbeing and now more than ever it is important for us to support people to re-engage with their local communities. ​
Marmalade Companions 2025
This project will resume in February 2025. Volunteer applications are now open, please complete this form to express your interest in volunteering. For more information and referral information, please sign up for our newsletter. If you have any questions in the meantime, contact our team at: info@marmaladetrust.org.
Meet Helen, 87
“The loneliness and the isolation... it makes me feel very low,” says Helen of life since her husband died. “Some days I don’t see a soul.” Helen was caught in a cycle of feeling disconnected, “It’s really hard to make new friends when you’re feeling down. It makes you want to stay in.”
Thanks to the Marmalade Companions project, Helen was matched with a friendly, trained volunteer to help her make new connections and find social activity in their local community. “My lovely volunteer never misses a call. We chat away very easily, about all sorts of things, including cats.”
“She has asked me all about things I like to do or used to enjoy doing. It's been really helpful to talk about ideas and think about what might be possible. She’s encouraged me to get back to my knitting club and has also found me another activity. I’ve met a few new people, I feel more positive and am finding it easier to make new friends and talk to people.”
“The project has been important to me because it has brought me together with people again. My hopes for the future? I just want to be friends with people!”
Our approach
We recognise that loneliness is a subjective experience, and there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach that will prevent everyone from feeling lonely. By matching a trained volunteer with each Marmalade member, we can ensure that each individual receives a tailored response that connects them with the kinds of services and support they think would help them.
By building a trusting relationship through regular phone contact, companions offer help and support to build the member's confidence, form new social links and access services needed. Signposting to new activities or ways of making social connections inside or outside the home, is a key part of the volunteer role.
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Our goal
Ultimately the project aims to enable our members to step out of loneliness and make meaningful, long-lasting connections that bring them joy far beyond the programme. By the end of the project, we hope to see our members engaging with a new group, activity, or opportunity in their community; rekindling old hobbies, becoming more active or learning new skills.​
How to get involved all year round...
From sponsored runs to cake sales, fundraising is a brilliant way to support our charity.
