Guidance and Mentoring
Companioning with Befriend
At Befriend, we know that building community isn’t a solo act. One of the most important ingredients is having people around you who believe in you, care about your unique contributions, and want to help you bring your dreams to life.
That’s where we come in.
Our team at Befriend brings many years of diverse experiences nurturing community in all kinds of ways. Through our Companioning service, we walk alongside people on their unique community change-making journeys, offering encouragement, gentle guidance and connection, while honouring your independence and self-determination.
What is Companioning?
“Companion — a person with whom one travels.”
Companioning is a personal, flexible, supportive relationship with a member of our team. Together, you’ll have a series of one-to-one conversations to:
- Clarify your unique gifts, hopes and ideas for growing community spirit
- Explore and plan your way forward
- Take practical steps to learn, create, experiment and test your ideas
You lead the way, we walk beside you, not ahead of you. You hold responsibility for your own project or group, while we offer guidance, reflection and resources to help you along the way.
Each Companioning relationship is unique. Some of our Companions take a relaxed mentoring approach, while others bring a structured coaching style or other support frameworks.
We share our own stories and experiences where it’s helpful, while honouring that your journey will always be your own. Along the way, we can also connect you to other sources of learning, inspiration, and support that might nourish your path.
How it works
Some Companioning relationships set a regular rhythm of sessions, while others are more ad-hoc and informal.
We’ll work at a pace and style that feels right for you.
Our companioning support is offered freely for volunteer-led, community-based initiatives, thanks to the support of our funding partners. For established organisations or groups with financial capacity, we may explore a fee-for-service arrangement to reflect the shared value of our time and expertise.
It always begins with an initial exploratory conversation, and we develop our relationship together from there.
Who Companioning is for
Companioning might be a good fit if:
- You’re dreaming of starting a new community connecting initiative, and it feels a bit big or overwhelming
- You’re already leading a group, club, association or social enterprise and want to deepen connection and inclusion
- You’re at a crossroads, feeling called to contribute to community life but unsure what your next step is.
- You’ve taken part in one of our workshops or courses and have a seed of an idea you’d like to explore further
Not sure if it’s right for you?
That’s okay! Get in touch for a chat. We can have an initial exploratory conversation to help you work out what kind of support best suits you.
If it turns out that Befriend isn’t the best fit, we’ll gladly connect you to other relevant avenues of assistance.
