Abi’s story

Abi reached out for support from our Community Companions service when she was feeling isolated. We spoke to her about the support she received and the impact it had on her life.

Can you talk about what you were feeling at the time when you needed some support? What was happening for you?

I have struggled with my mental health for a number of years, and it’s something that I have to keep an eye on.

I have a little boy, he’s just turned eight, and he’s neurodiverse, and he is my whole world, but he has had a very challenging time due to his disabilities, and our lives had become quite isolated.

I just felt very drained and tired and kind of hopeless in a way.

Which service supported you?

I used the befriending service Community Companions. I had a phone call with them initially, to find out what it was that I wanted to get out of the service, and how I was feeling, why I was wanting to use the service.

They contacted me back quite soon afterwards to tell me that they’d matched me with a volunteer who could meet me for coffee once a week in the afternoons, which is what I had requested, and we just went out for coffee. We met up once a week, had a coffee and a chat, and I just got to be a person for that hour a week and talk to another adult about anything I wanted, and just relax and be me.

How did you feel after the support? What difference did it make to you?

It was incredible to be able to have that time. I don’t think I realised quite how much I needed it until I did it. I was Abi for an hour a week, as opposed to just being mum, and it enabled me to then be able to go out for coffee on my own again and contact friends that I’d had before to arrange for them to go out, which I couldn’t do prior to using the befriending service.

Community Companions

Community Companions is a befriending service available to anyone in Bradford district and Craven aged 18 and over.

The service supports people with:

  • loneliness
  • social isolation
  • mental health issues

More about this service

 

 

Posted on: 24th April 2025

back to news

Latest News

View all news
Find out more about the Hope and Light programme

Find out more about the Hope and Light programme

As part of South Asian Heritage Month, BDC Mind highlights Hope and Light  – a […]

Posted on: 28th July 2025

Breaking the Silence Around Mental Health in South Asian Communities

Breaking the Silence Around Mental Health in South Asian Communities

As part of South Asian Heritage Month, Ayesha, who works as Community Engagement Worker for […]

Posted on: 25th July 2025

South Asian Heritage Month

South Asian Heritage Month

South Asian Heritage Month seeks to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories and […]

Posted on: 22nd July 2025

Meet our Trustee, Jaspreet

Meet our Trustee, Jaspreet

Hello, my name is Jaspreet and I’m proud to serve as a trustee on the Board of BDC Mind. I chose to volunteer with Mind because I’ve seen first-hand how vital community based mental health supporter is.

Posted on: 17th June 2025

Join our Supporter Newsletter

Every two months, you’ll receive a mix of uplifting stories from our community, updates from our partners, and we’ll meaningful ways to get involved straight to your inbox. Fill in this form to join the mailing list:

 

Your privacy is important to us, we keep your information safe and we will never sell or swap your details for marketing purposes. You can easily unsubscribe from emails at any time using the link at the bottom of the email, or by contacting communications@mindinbradford.org.uk Please see our privacy policy for more details.