Articles in BuDDies

Articles about the IAG Buddies project

Articles in BuDDies

A man and a woman sitting on a low wall talking happily with sand dunes in the background. Both the man and the woman have prosthetic left legs.

Happy Birthday BuDDies!

Ben Clark
The blue and yellow BuDDies logo. It is a circular logo with the word 'BuDDies' in the centre above an image of two speech bubbles, one of which has a heart in it.

BuDDies, our befriending service for disabled people, is three years old today (Monday 24 April). Started as a response to the Covid lockdowns in 2020, it is now a permanent project continuing to help scores of lonely and isolated disabled people across Buckinghamshire and beyond. BuDDies is the only fully safeguarded befriending service in Bucks that can communicate with disabled people in the way that best suits them, including BSL, messaging, and video calls. BuDDies also supports people with long-term and complex mental health conditions who are often unable to access other befriending services.

BuDDies are BuDS volunteers who call you regularly for a chat about anything you like. The calls are not therapy or counselling, just friendly conversation. You can talk about things that are troubling you, or just have a social chat. We will try to match you with a volunteer that suits your needs and the calls can be as often or as infrequent as you like, or just a one-off. To learn more about BuDDies, or to ask for a BuDDy, click here.

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June Update – IAG BuDDies

Ben Clark

We are looking for BuDDies!  We currently have a waiting list of disabled members looking for a BuDDy, if you think you would be suitable for this volunteering role, please get in touch using the details below. 

We are still looking forward to the year ahead and are making sure we think about how we can expand to support more people within Buckinghamshire when we are able to. The BuDDies team works hard to make sure that we maintain an accessible service, offering sessions in a variety of different ways, such as video calls, phone calls and BSL.

If you are interested in becoming a BuDDy please email volunteering@buds.org.uk, or if you are looking to become a member to be matched with a BuDDy please email buddies@buds.org.uk

April Update – IAG BuDDies

Ben Clark

This month the BuDDies team is reflecting on the past year as we will be coming up to nearly a year of supporting disabled people across Buckinghamshire. We have 2 longstanding matches which have supported those members to becoming more independent and helped to alleviate isolation and loneliness. This month, our volunteers have already spent over 12 hours supporting our members.

We are looking forward to the year ahead and are making sure we think about how we can expand to support more people within Buckinghamshire. The BuDDies team works hard to make sure that we maintain an accessible service, offering sessions in a variety of different ways, such as video calls, phone calls and BSL.

If you are interested in becoming a BuDDy please email volunteering@buds.org.uk or if you are looking to become a member to be matched with a BuDDy please email buddies@buds.org.uk

BuDS and a Year of Success

Ben Clark

Consistently providing accurate and reliable information 

Here at BuDS we thought it was about time we paid homage to our wonderful trustees, volunteers and staff members who have dedicated their time to keep our projects running and our community supported through such uncertain times. Over the past year many organisations and charities have struggled to adapt to the developing situation. Of course, there are many success stories, and we think we are one, so please indulge us while we blow our own trumpet! 

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