Clubs and Societies

Befriended was set up in 2017 with the mission of ending loneliness and isolation among older people living in Mid Sussex. 

The charity also offers bereavement support to people of all ages through its Compassionate Conversations course and Bereavement Cafes.

Befriended offers a range of services to older people living in the Mid Sussex area. This includes the towns of Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill, along with the surrounding villages such as Lindfield, Hassocks, Hurstpierpoint, Ditchling and Cuckfield.

We are delighted to share that Befriended now has a new home in the village of Ditchling. We were not actively looking for a place but a series of significant coincidences led us to The Emmanuel Centre in Ditchling. 

It is a building well known to a number of people in Befriended, a building whose name means “God with us”.  For many years, the chapel was a place of Christian worship, prayer, and gathering, that valued community life alongside worship. Like many chapels of its time, it was a space where people were known, listened to, and cared for – a place where relationships mattered. This legacy resonates deeply with Befriended’s mission today. Although the building is no longer used as a chapel, its purpose continues in a new and meaningful way. 

Emmanuel Chapel now called Befriended HUB, offers a home for compassion, connection and community. We see this not as a departure from the building’s Christian roots, but as a continuation of them, expressed through all of Befriended’s values and activities. 

As we begin this new chapter in Ditchling, we do so with gratitude for the chapel’s history and hope for its future. We look forward to building relationships locally and to seeing Befriended Hub serve as a place ofwelcome, warmth, and encouragement for those who need it most.