Side by Side, Time to Talk Befriending's photographs of older people and their volunteer befrienders, is at Worthing Town Hall until 26 November.

A photography exhibition about the friendships between older people and the volunteers who visit them opened at Worthing Town Hall on Monday 2 November and runs until Thursday 26 November.

Side by Side is the work of Time to Talk Befriending, a charity based in North Street, Portslade, which works across Brighton and Hove, Worthing and Adur, including Lancing and Shoreham. It has brought the exhibition to Worthing to mark national Befriending Week, which began on Sunday 1 November.

The team is also at the Town Hall from 10am to 3pm on Tuesday 3 November for anyone who wants to find out more about the charity, ask about its services for an older relative or themselves, or volunteer.

A smiling man in a navy T-shirt crouches beside an older man in a red dressing gown, laughing in an armchair at home
Sharing a laugh at home during a befriending visit. Photo: Matthew J Thomas Photography, supplied by Time to Talk Befriending

Why the charity made it

The exhibition sets out to celebrate the relationships that grow out of befriending, and to show why a meaningful human connection can matter more as people get older.

Emily Kenward, the charity’s founder and chief executive, said: “As we grow older, the things that make us who we are do not suddenly become less important.

“We still want to be known, listened to, share our interests, contribute and know that we matter.

“Side by Side celebrates the relationships that make that possible.”

Two older men sit side by side on a cream sofa, one with his arm resting on the other's shoulder, a cribbage board and playing cards on the table in front of them
Tony and Tony, with a cribbage board and cards on the table. Photo: Matthew J Thomas Photography, supplied by Time to Talk Befriending

She said the work behind each match is easy to underestimate. “Befriending can look very simple from the outside, but a dependable relationship takes thought, trust and ongoing support.

“Our role is not just to introduce two people. We support the relationship so it can continue to be meaningful and safe as life changes.”

More than someone to talk to

The charity matches volunteers with older people who find it increasingly hard to stay connected after changes in their health, mobility, memory, confidence or circumstances. Its approach, it says, covers getting to know the whole person, careful matching, regular reviews, support for volunteers, safeguarding, pointing people to other help, and support when circumstances change.

It was founded in December 2013 after local research into loneliness and isolation among older people, and connects older people with volunteer befrienders and chaplains, including people with few or no family or friends around them.

Two women stand facing each other and smiling in a room full of paper flowers and craft materials, beneath a large photograph of an autumn wood
Helen and Pip among paper flowers and craft materials. Photo: Matthew J Thomas Photography, supplied by Time to Talk Befriending

Ms Kenward said the photographs were meant to show that side of the work. “Much of this is reflected in the exhibition itself. The photographs make visible relationships that often develop quietly, week by week, including in the homes of older people who may otherwise have few opportunities to connect with others.

“They celebrate not only conversation and companionship, but what it can mean to be remembered and valued, while still having opportunities to share interests, experience and humour.”

Two older men laugh together at home, one holding up a framed collage of 1950s and 60s record sleeves including Elvis Presley and Cliff RichardA man in a navy T-shirt and an older man with a white moustache sit on a patterned sofa looking at a booklet together

2 photos, swipe or scroll. Photos: Matthew J Thomas Photography, supplied by Time to Talk Befriending

A call for recognition

The charity is using Befriending Week to make a wider case. “This Befriending Week, Time to Talk Befriending is asking for befriending to be recognised and supported as an essential service for health and wellbeing, so that more people can experience meaningful connection when they need it,” Ms Kenward said.

An older woman in a blue patterned dress and a younger woman in a navy jumper hold hands and laugh, sitting in wicker armchairs
Holding hands during a visit. Photo: Matthew J Thomas Photography, supplied by Time to Talk Befriending

What it means for you

  • See the exhibition: Side by Side is at Worthing Town Hall from Monday 2 November to Thursday 26 November.
  • Meet the team: Time to Talk Befriending staff are at the Town Hall from 10am to 3pm on Tuesday 3 November.
  • Get a befriender or volunteer: the charity works in Worthing, Lancing, Shoreham and the rest of Adur as well as Brighton and Hove, and is looking to hear from older people who would like a befriender and from people who would like to become one. The meet-the-team session is the place to ask.
A young woman holding a baby sits beside a smiling older woman in a reclining wheelchair, with a dolls' house and shelves behind themA smiling woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, a pink shirt and a blue scarf, hands clasped

2 photos, swipe or scroll. Photos: Matthew J Thomas Photography, supplied by Time to Talk Befriending

The photographs are by Matthew J Thomas Photography.