Why Befriending?

The Home Office accommodates asylum seekers in the UK with a ‘no choice’ policy – meaning our clients almost always arrive in Plymouth having never been to, and often never even having heard of such a place. Befriending at DCRS is a project developed as a response to a need for more one-to-one social support, the need to safeguard and cherish the healing power of human relationships, and to alleviate social isolation.

We bring together people from displaced communities with residents of Devon and Cornwall. The project offers a flexible way of volunteering for locals who wish to support and connect with people seeking sanctuary but can't volunteer 9 to 5.

“For years [whilst working as an Activities Coordinator at DCRS], I witnessed the difference our volunteers and the relationships they formed with our clients made. It was life-changing, and in some cases life-saving, too. But we had no framework for client-volunteer relationships, and instead of managing and celebrating it, it was safer to discourage. We wanted to rethink our policies to include befriending.” - Suvi Rehell, Project Coordinator