What is good friends?

Good Friends offers support and friendship across Tower Hamlets, encouraging people to build trusting relationships, confidence, and social connections.

Good Friends also provides lasting support to people who have benefited from our other services and want to continue being a part of something positive.

How does it work?

Good Friends helps to reduce isolation through multiple social support groups:

Online peer-support group for Bangladeshi women

Our online peer-support group for Bangladeshi women meets twice a week for uplifting and supportive conversations. The group comes together on a video call to talk about their week and how they are feeling. Approximately once a month, the group is joined by a guest speaker to talk about health and wellbeing topics such as mental health, bereavement, and menopause.

This group is facilitated by women who speak Bengali and English, and is women-only.

Walking group with ESOL support for Bangladeshi women

Our walking group for Bangladeshi women meets every Tuesday for a gentle walk, friendly conversation, and to develop their English skills.

Due to participant feedback, our facilitators incorporated ESOL support into the sessions so the group could develop the skills and confidence to say hello to people they walk past. The group is developing their knowledge of the English alphabet, learning how to describe parts of the body in English, and practising conversational English. Through role-play exercises, the group is gaining confidence to chat with new friends and book GP appointments.

This group is facilitated by women who speak Bengali and English, as is women-only.

Circus skills for our English-speaking peer-support group

With our friends at St Margaret’s House, we are running circus skills sessions for our English-speaking, mixed-gender, peer-support group. Each week the group has a great time exploring physical skills like balance and hand-eye coordination through the fun of circus.

This group is run in English and is for people of mixed ethnicities and genders.

How can you get involved?

We would love for you to become a part of our Good Friends family. To get involved, please click the ‘Sign up’ button.

What have other people experienced?

“Before our weekly Zoom meetings, I had lost interest in most things but I’m beginning to feel motivated and supported by a good group of people who are now friends.  I hope this Befriending project will continue for a long time.” Good Friends participant

After joining Good Friends, 100% of the participants who felt they did not have many people they could trust felt that this had improved.

100% of participants who often felt rejected before starting the support sessions, felt that this had improved after joining Good Friends.

“Thank you for calling, I really appreciate your time given to me. The advice you gave about calling my GP was really helpful. Knowing that I can just talk to someone without judging meant a lot to me.” Good Friends participant