Bristol, Reading and Manchester are Britain’s most caring places

Bristol, Reading and Manchester are Britain’s most caring places — punching above their weight with the number of people willing to help the lonely and vulnerable, reveals Companiions, a new app that connects people with trusted, vetted companions.

The West Country city has the highest proportion of vetted and rated companions when the figures are adjusted for population size. Reading and Manchester are second and third.

Users of befriending network Companiions can book a visit from a companion for a chat or for help with tasks around the house for themselves or a loved one.  

Table: Cities with highest amount of companions

Source: Companiions

Manchester leads the way when it comes to the cities with the most companions per user, meaning that loved ones in the North West have the biggest chance to find someone best suited to them. Both Leeds and Coventry, like Manchester, have more than eight companions available per user.

Table: Cities with the most companions per organiser

Source: Companiions

Companiions is a befriending network that enables friends and relatives - ‘organisers’ - to create a profile for a loved one or themselves, detailing any health issues, plus their likes and dislikes. They can then create a calendar specifying when they would like a companion to pop round to visit their loved one.

Organisers can select the companion most suited to their loved one’s needs, picking from profiles that detail experience levels, occupation, and skills like first aid.

All companions on the platform are carefully vetted using some of the world’s leading AI-powered identity verification tools. Loved ones meet their prospective companions by video call initially, allowing both sides to get to know each other.

Ratings and reviews allow organisers to make informed decisions and pinpoint the companions most likely to get on well with their loved one.

Organisers pay as little as £12 an hour for visits, and companions can donate any or all of their fee to charity if they wish.

Marguerite, of Walton on Thames, Surrey, lost her husband recently. She has 18 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchilden whom she sees regularly, but knows that they can’t visit as often as they would like. She was brought up in India, and likes to teach her companions traditional recipes, as well as getting help in the garden. 

Organiser Faye, of Thames Ditton in Surrey, booked companions to share a cup of tea and cook for her mother. One companion, Sue, of East Molesey, Surrey, enjoyed talking about line-dancing with a former professional ballroom dancer. She is using the money she earns from visits to save for a holiday.

The launch of Companiions comes after millions of people suffered loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Nearly four out of five (77%) people in Britain say they’ve become more aware of others’ loneliness since the pandemic began, and over two thirds (69%) are now more conscious of those who require support with everyday tasks, a nationwide poll of more than 2,000 British adults conducted by YouGov for Companiions reveals.

Lisa Robinson, CEO of befriending network Companiions, said: “We’ve been amazed by the number of compassionate people across the country who have come forward to be companions.

“The residents of Bristol, Reading and Manchester have really led the way, and it’s a testament to the community spirit in these cities.

“The last year and a half have been immensely difficult for many people, and lockdown has seen loneliness and anxiety levels soar.

“For those people missing that vital human contact, Companiions can help find a trusted, vetted person who’s willing and able to spend some time with your loved one.

“The enforced separation we endured during the pandemic revealed what a difference simple things, like having someone to chat to, can make. Our research shows four fifths of us are now more conscious of the loneliness of others.

“Companiions is on a post-lockdown mission to end loneliness by bringing easy-to-arrange, trusted, convenient companionship to every community in the UK. 

“If you know someone who will still be lonely or unable to cope with everyday tasks when life returns to normal, wherever you live, you can organise a little bit of help or companionship securely and affordably via Companiions.”