The Befriending Scheme

What The Befriending Scheme does

The Befriending Scheme is a registered charity in England (Charity No: 1074800) founded in 1989 in Suffolk, UK, originally as West Suffolk Befriending Scheme. The organisation provides friendship and learning opportunities for vulnerable adults aged 16 and above across Suffolk, including those with learning disabilities, mental health needs, unpaid carers, and other socially isolated groups, and runs Better Together groups bringing together military and civilian families. Service delivery is community-based, operating through weekly Hub drop-in centres, one-to-one volunteer befriending relationships, evening and weekend Out and About social groups, and the Red Rose Community Farm in Lindsey Tye, which provides outdoor learning, horticulture, animal care, and sensory garden activities. Additional programmes include SEND Family Farm Days for children aged 7–11 with special educational needs and disabilities and the Coffee, Craft and Company art sessions in Sudbury.

The underlying technology is minimal: a Squarespace-hosted public website, an email newsletter, Facebook and X/Twitter social media accounts, a secure online donation portal ("PHOENIX"), and standard office communications. Service operations are volunteer-intensive and human-delivered, with no proprietary software platform, app, or API documented. Data handling is governed by GDPR under data registration ZA150156, with the Operations Manager acting as Data Protection Officer.

The business model is a nonprofit grant-and-donation model. The charity does not charge service users (services are free, with only nominal fees for some outings such as a £5 zoo trip) and is funded through charitable grants from trusts and foundations including Children In Need, the Suffolk Community Foundation, Persimmon Homes Building Futures, the Co-op Local Fund, and Tesco Stronger Starts; individual donations channelled via PayPal Giving Fund, JustGiving, and the secure portal; community fundraising events; corporate partnerships with local businesses (Drage and Tozer, Suffolk Landrovers Owners Club); and membership fees. Governance is provided by a five-member Board of Trustees with experience across social care, NHS, and banking, under CEO Shirley Moore who has led the charity for over three decades. The organisation operates from a head office at 1 The Croft, Sudbury, with a staff headcount of 11–50 and serves over 200 vulnerable people and families annually.

Name

The Befriending Scheme

Legal name

The Befriending Scheme

Website

https://thebefriendingscheme.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Befriending Scheme is a Suffolk-based registered charity providing friendship, learning, and respite opportunities for vulnerable adults (16+), including those with learning disabilities and mental health needs, through six Hub groups, one-to-one volunteer befriending, and the Red Rose Community Farm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Care Befriending Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Companion Care & Social Support (non-clinical) (HLADAGAB), Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers) (EDAKANAM)

Keywords

• Adult befriending services
• Community social support
• Learning disability support
• Volunteer befriending programs
• Community care farming

Headquarters

HQ city

Sudbury, Suffolk

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grants and Funding: Charitable grants from trusts and foundations including Children In Need, Suffolk Community Foundation, Persimmon Homes Building Futures, and other grant-making organizations
2. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals and supporters, including PayPal Giving Fund integration, JustGiving platform, and Tesco Stronger Starts community votes
3. Community Fundraising: Fundraising events and activities including raffles, runs, corporate partnerships with local businesses like Drage and Tozer and Suffolk Landrovers Owners Club
4. Membership Fees: Collection of membership fees from members

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Befriending Scheme provides friendship, social connection, and learning opportunities for vulnerable people aged 16 and over across Suffolk, including people with learning disabilities, mental health needs, and other isolated groups. Its core services are community Hub drop-in groups, volunteer-led one-to-one befriending, and evening and weekend Out and About groups. It also operates Red Rose Community Farm and runs named group programs, workshops, social events, and activity days.

Product overview

The Befriending Scheme operates as a single unified charitable service providing friendship and learning opportunities for vulnerable adults (16yrs+) across Suffolk. The core offerings consist of Hub Groups (regular drop-in centres), One-to-One Befriending services, and Out and About Groups on evenings and weekends. The organization also runs Red Rose Community Farm in Lindsey Tye as a community care facility. These services work together to reduce isolation and provide meaningful social connections for people with learning disabilities, mental health needs, and other isolated groups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Red Rose Community Farm: Community care farm in Lindsey Tye, Suffolk providing outdoor learning and friendship opportunities for vulnerable adults

Products and services

• Hub Groups Regular drop-in centres for vulnerable adults aged 16 and over, providing opportunities to learn new skills, take part in arts, crafts and cooking, have fun, and make friends.
• One-to-One Befriending A service that matches vulnerable people with volunteer befrienders to build individual friendships, provide companionship, and offer individual support.
• Out and About Groups Evening and weekend social groups offering activities such as cinema trips, visits to a local snooker club, and other outings that help members stay connected.
• Red Rose Community Farm A community care farm in Lindsey Tye, Suffolk, providing a safe outdoor setting for friendship, learning, horticulture, animal care, and sensory-garden activities.
• SEND Family Farm Days Special farm activity days for children aged 7–11 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and their families.
• Coffee, Craft and Company An art- and craft-focused group session held in Sudbury for adults with learning disabilities.
• Better Together Groups Groups that bring military and civilian families together in Hadleigh.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tesco Stronger StartsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 January 2025Community funding scheme giving grants up to £1,500. The Befriending Scheme in customer vote at Sudbury store for sensory garden play equipment funding.
• Suffolk Landrovers Owners Club (SLROC)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 January 2025Local club raised £5,500 through 4x4 off-road experience events over the past year, supporting small Suffolk-based charities.
• National Citizens Service (NCS) Team 12minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2023Young volunteers created a wildlife pond at Friends Community Farm Hub in Assington to help attract wildlife and create a calming learning environment.
• PayPal Giving FundcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 September 2023Registered charity enabling online donations through PayPal and other platforms including Facebook and eBay with no fees charged.
• Drage and Tozer OpticiansminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2023Local Sudbury opticians who have been continually fundraising for Red Rose Community Farm. Raised over £2000 since January including sponsoring the Pygmy Goat enclosure.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hft: National charity supporting people with learning disabilities through personalised support, housing, and community activities. Comparable in cohort (learning disabilities) and community-integration model, but with a larger care-provider footprint and CQC-registered services.
• Independent Age: National charity offering advice, befriending, and grants for older people facing hardship. Comparable in befriending service model and cohort, but operates nationally with statutory and lottery funding.
• United Response: National charity supporting people with learning disabilities, mental health needs, and autism through personalised support, community participation, and befriending. Closely comparable multi-cohort mission to TBS, with much larger scale and commissioned service contracts.
• Sense: National disability charity supporting people with complex disabilities including learning disabilities, deafblindness, and autism through community services. Comparable in cohort and community-based delivery, but national in scale and CQC-registered.
• Royal Voluntary Service: One of the UK's largest volunteering charities, running hospital volunteer and befriending services. Comparable to TBS's volunteer-driven befriending model, but with a national footprint and NHS-system contracts TBS does not have.
• Age UK: National federation providing befriending, advice, and social activities for older people across the UK. Directly comparable to TBS's social-isolation mission for vulnerable adults, but operates at much larger scale and with a national brand and statutory funding.
• Mencap: National learning disability charity providing advice, services, and community support. Comparable to TBS's primary cohort (adults with learning disabilities) but operates national programmes, policy work, and direct services far beyond TBS's local befriending focus.

Direct peers

• Re-engage: National charity dedicated to combating social isolation in older people through befriending, tea parties, and group activities. Closest direct peer in mission and operating model to TBS, but serves exclusively over-75s and operates nationally.
• The Silver Line: UK helpline and befriending service specifically for older people, providing telephone friendship and regular contact. Closely comparable befriending mission to TBS, but delivered nationally via a phone-based model rather than in-person Hubs and farms.

Emerging players

• Together (mental health charity): UK mental health charity providing community-based support, advocacy, and befriending for people with mental health needs. Comparable to TBS's mental health segment, but with a national policy and advocacy dimension TBS does not pursue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/thebefriendingscheme
• Facebookfacebook.com/thebefriendingscheme
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-befriending-scheme

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Befriending Scheme