Contact a Buddy
If you are a Veteran who needs a chat, a call, an email from someone that will listen and have a lovely chat with you then we are here to hear you! Find out about what our Charity offers to veterans suffering from potential lonliness or social withdrawal. Read below to learn about our process and get in touch to start a journey with YOUR buddy.
If you are a Veteran who needs a chat, a call, an email from someone that will listen and have a lovely chat with you then we are here to hear you! Find out about what our Charity offers to veterans suffering from potential lonliness or social withdrawal. Read below to learn about our process and get in touch to start a journey with YOUR buddy.
What is Contact a Buddy?
As the UK Veterans Hearing Foundation we’re aware that a lot of veterans who’ve served our country and suffered from hearing loss have also subsequently suffered from social withdrawal, anxiety, PTSD and communication difficulties. Meaning a lot of Veterans feel like they have no-one to talk to and feel misunderstood.
The Buddy Scheme is an initiative by us that uses volunteers and pairs them with Veterans needing a chat or support. Buddies are volunteers from the public that have agreed to be available for contact when needed, they can be from any background including being Veterans themselves – all Buddies have to go through an interview-like process to make sure they are fit for the role and agree to follow our standards.
The first step of your journey would be to send in a contact request, using the form below please let us know your preferred method of contact (Email or Telephone) and we will get back to you to confirm we’ve received your request.
Please include any other information that you feel might help, such as if you are hard of hearing (in which case we can help arrange accessibility assistance), what branch of the Military Services you were involved in.
Once we have your request the team will be able to go through their database of volunteers to pair you up for the initial contact. The Buddy will receive the information from your initial contact request and they will take the first step towards getting in touch with you to set up a regular contact schedule that’ll benefit you.
If you haven’t provided a preferred contact method or time the Buddy will try to get in contact with you via telephone and email as soon as they are able. In the case that you’re unavailable our email will request a call back or reply with a time you’re available for the initial contact.
We will try a total of 3 times to get in contact with you, in the event we are unable to get in contact with you via the provided information we will not take any further action and your personal data will be removed from our database to ensure we are GDPR compliant.
During your talk sessions you are free to discuss and chat away! Your personal talk sessions will be a chance to have a lovely chat about any issues, worries, or events that have happened, including anything you’d like to get off of your chest. Our buddies will provide a calm, understanding atmosphere for discussion and will provide a space where you can talk without judgment or insecurity.
We aim to help Veterans requiring a buddy for as long as they need it. This can range from a couple of weeks, to months and even years. The goal of this scheme is to reduce social isolation and anxiety of Veterans and encourage them to find support groups local to them and build the confidence to get back out into the real world. A lot of mental health issues arise from social withdrawal, we are aiming to improve the mental health of Veterans that have served the UK and give time back for the time they have given to our country.
Some Veterans choose to stay on with the scheme whilst others go their separate way after receiving adequate support. The next step will be to establish review dates – this is to see whether our scheme is helping you, how we can improve and whether any adjustments have to be made.
It is our goal to succeed in providing the help our Veterans need in all its forms.
The Process
Below you can find the steps involved in supporting our Veterans with the Buddy Scheme.
Our Goals
To Support
We want to be a Charity that Veterans turn to for all sorts of help. This scheme allows us to create a network of supportive individuals that are willing to sit and listen to our Veterans so they can feel like they too have a voice. Talking to a Buddy helps to alleviate stress and helps Veterans explore conversation in a encouraging environment.
To Empower
We believe that everyone needs a comfortable chat from time to time. For any issues discussed we will focus on helping Veterans make their own decisions to empower them to improve their own lives and combat lonliness. We believe that people have the right to find their own solution and that telling people what to do takes responsibility away from them.
To Give Back
The time we give to our Veterans will only be small fractions of the dedication and time they’ve given to our country. This scheme is here to help Veterans who suffer from hearing loss and those that just need a helping hand, all of our efforts are going towards making a brighter future for our Veteran soldiers.