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Refer a client

Creating connection and reducing isolation for disabled adults

With online, phone, and in-person support*, you can support your client to build lasting connections, reduce isolation, improve well-being, and engage more with their community.

Our service, led by disabled people, prioritises inclusivity, accessibility, and meaningful connections.

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*Please note that our in-person support is provided on an availability basis and we are currently expanding our in-person support across London initially.

We support disabled adults (aged 18-65) across the UK who are experiencing loneliness, isolation, or a lack of meaningful connection by pairing them with a trained, paid Buddy for one-to-one support. This service compliments other support provisions available for disabled adults and provides a non-clinical, social connection outside of healthcare services, helping to increase wellbeing and reduce social isolation.

 

You can read more about the type of Buddying support we offer further down the page as well as our programme fees.

 

If you work in health, social care, education, or the voluntary sector, you can refer someone directly to us in just a few minutes.

Who Can Refer

  • Social prescribers

  • Support workers

  • GPs and healthcare professionals

  • Charities and community groups

  • Educational staff and SEND professionals

  • Housing and outreach teams

Trust and Safeguarding

  • All Buddies are DBS checked, trained, and supervised

  • We follow a robust safeguarding policy

  • Referrers can request update reports or outcome summaries

Who We Support

We work with disabled people aged 18-65 who:

  • Are experiencing loneliness or social isolation

  • Would benefit from one-to-one companionship, confidence-building, or practical peer support

  • Are able and willing to engage with a matched Buddy

What We Offer

  • Weekly or fortnightly sessions via phone, video, or in-person (where available)

  • Carefully matched Buddies based on needs and preferences

  • Safe, supportive connections built around trust, fun, and shared goals

  • Short- and long-term support based on the individual’s goals

How to Refer

You can refer a client by completing our quick form:

 

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Alternatively, ​email us at david@buddiesforall.org.uk with information about your client, including their age, disability, location and what sort of support they would benefit from.

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Got questions before referring?

What Happens Next?

  1. We review the referral and contact the individual within 5-10 working days

  2. We assess their preferences and availability

  3. A matched Buddy is introduced, and support begins

 

We’ll always keep you in the loop if you'd like a confirmation or follow-up.

We provide a range of different Buddy services that you can refer a disabled adult to that you work with or care for:

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Meet with a trained Buddy in person in the local area* and do activities together such as:

  • going for a walk

  • meeting for a coffee and a chat

  • trips to the cinema, theatre, concerts

  • going to sport events like football matches 

  • any other social activity

*Please note that our in-person support is provided on an availability basis and we are currently expanding our in-person support across London initially.

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Connect with a Buddy via virtual video call or online messaging (such as through WhatsApp or email).​​​​

Chat with a Buddy over the phone about absolutely anything!

Examples of social and leisure activities Buddies can do together:

Buddying services

Buddying Services

Buddying programme fees

At Buddies for All, we aim to keep our services as accessible and affordable as possible. We offer a range of flexible payment options to suit different circumstances and prices are available on request:

Payment options

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​Clients can use their personal income or disability benefits to pay for our service. These include:

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  • Personal Independence Payments

  • Disability Living Allowance

  • Direct Payments from their Local Authority

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Prices for one hour of in-person Buddying is £30 per hour.​​ Prices for 30 minutes of telephone or 45 minutes of video call Buddying is £25.

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When signing up you will be entitled to 2 free sessions with your buddy.  One of these sessions is an introduction to set expectations with your buddy and the other free of charge session is to enjoy an activity of choice with the support of your buddy.

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After this you will be billed £30/£25 an hour for each session. Discounts are available for bulk bookings. We also offer flexible payment options. Please email david@buddiesforall.org.uk for more information.

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​Please note that our in-person support is provided on an availability basis and we are currently expanding our in-person support across London. Our in-person services are currently unavailable outside of London.

 

Our buddying is a paid service only.  For more information on our paid services, please email: david@buddiesforall.org.uk

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Pay What You Can

We encourage all clients to contribute what they can to help sustain our service and support others in need. Every contribution makes a difference.

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Pay It Forward

Through our "Pay It Forward" model, generous donors can gift sessions to clients who may not otherwise afford support. This allows more people to benefit from our Buddying service.

We are committed to ensuring no one is left without support. If you have any questions about payment options, please get in touch.

Fees

Make a referral 

Buddies for All is a social and leisure buddying scheme that supports disabled people with all social and leisure activities in London. We support people with physical, sensory and hidden disabilities, such as chronic illnesses or neurological conditions, currently aged 18-65. However, as our organisation develops, it is our aim to provide a buddy to as many disabled people as possible, at our discretion based on the capabilities of our buddies.

 

A client can have a Buddy if: 

  • They are a disabled person

  • They want a buddy for a social or leisure activity 

  • They are aged 18-65 

 

Sorry, but we cannot offer a Buddy to a disabled person if: 

  • They do not consider themselves to be disabled

  • They have recently been detained or sectioned under the mental health act and it is not currently considered 'well managed'

  • They need specialist support or advice to manage a mental health condition

  • They wish to attend hospital or other appointments 

  • Any personal care is needed 

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Please note that all applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis, so if you're unsure if your client is eligible, please still complete an application and we can advise accordingly.

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​Please note that our in-person support is provided on an availability basis and we are currently expanding our in-person support across London. Our in-person services are currently unavailable outside of London.

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Our Buddying Service Fees

 

​Payment options
​​​

Clients can use their personal income or disability benefits to pay for our service. These include:

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  • Personal Independence Payments

  • Disability Living Allowance

  • Direct Payments from their Local Authority

​

Prices for one hour of in-person Buddying is £30 per hour.

​​

Prices for 30 minutes of telephone or 45 minutes of video call Buddying is £25.

​​​

When signing up you will be entitled to 2 free sessions with your buddy. One of these sessions is an introduction to set expectations with your buddy and the other free of charge session is to enjoy an activity of choice with the support of your buddy.

​​

After this you will be billed £30/£25 an hour for each session. Discounts are available for bulk bookings. We also offer flexible payment options. Please email david@buddiesforall.org.uk for more information.

​

Please note that our in-person support is provided on an availability basis and we are currently expanding our in-person support across London. Our in-person services are currently unavailable outside of London.​

 

Buddies for All will contact the client within 5-10 working days to discuss their requirements in greater detail.

 

More information on our referral criteria can be found here: https://www.buddiesforall.org.uk/buddying-programme.

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If you need help completing this form

Please contact us if you need help by calling us on 0203 488 8629 or emailing us on david@buddiesforall.org.uk.

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Alternatively, you can request the form here and send the completed form to us at david@buddiesforall.org.uk.

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Our buddying is a paid service only.  For more information on our paid services, please email: david@buddiesforall.org.uk. We do not offer free volunteer support for your clients.

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By completing this form you understand the above information.

Client Details

Client gender
Male
Female
Prefer not to say
Other

This helps us to match you with an appropriate Buddy – we match male clients to male Buddies, and female clients to female Buddies.

Client address

Please enter their full address, including postcode.

 

This is for us to identify a Buddy close to the client.

Client Date of Birth

Please note that our Buddying service is currently only available to people aged 18-65.

Client Email address

We hope to keep you up to date with your client's match via email. We will also email you a confirmation when your request has been submitted to us. If you do not want to share your email address with us, or do not have one, please enter N/A - please ensure you provide a contact phone number below instead.

Client contact number

We may need to call you regarding your client's match - please provide the best contact number here. Your Buddy will also make contact with you initially via phone.

 

About Your Client's Needs and What They Want From a Buddy

How would they like to engage with their buddy?
What sort of leisure or social activities would they be interested in doing withtheir Buddy (please tick all that apply):
Do they require any of the following (please tick all that apply):

Next of Kin details

Referer details

Payment method

Will they be using a disability-related benefit (such as Personal Independence Payment) to pay for your Buddy service?

Their consent

In order to provide a service for you, we need to record your personal details. Everything you tell us is treated confidentially and stored securely and you can ask to see a copy of your record at any time.

Full details about how we manage your personal data can be found on our website https://buddiesforall.org.uk/privacy-policy or by emailing us at david@buddiesforall.org.uk

Please read and tick the following statements to indicate your consent for how we process your details and application to Buddies for All. If you have any questions about the statements, please contact us on david@buddiesforall.org.uk
I am happy to be contacted by my Buddy by (please tick all that apply):
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