Celebrating Befriending Week… with Halina

1-7 November is Befriending Week. This year’s theme is all about celebrating everything #BefriendingIs.

So we’re taking the opportunity to celebrate the hundreds of fantastic friendship between our VIPs (our wonderful over 60s) and volunteers. Friendships like Halina’s.

Halina, 97, is originally from Poland. She loves getting out into her garden, into nature, and out and about in her local community. But reduced mobility was making it difficult for her to get out alone.

In 2016, Halina joined the Vintage Vibes family. Since then, Halina has thoroughly enjoyed having the support to get out and about again. Especially in rekindling her love for feeding the birds in her garden.

Her friendship with her Vintage Vibes volunteer opened up the doors to the world again. In the four and a half years they have known each other, the pair have gone on many trips and mini adventures together.

Halina has complete trust in her volunteer. When out together, they often frequent polish cafes and delis in Edinburgh where Halina can smell the aromas, taste the flavours of home, and have a blether  in her native language. That is what #BefriendingIs.

Befriending Week is an annual awareness week created by Befriending Networks. You can check out more on their website here.