Friendship Circle.wmv

The Friendship Circle provides a range of leisure and social opportunities that aim to promote equality, confidence and opportunity, as well as increasing integration into mainstream Jewish life.
Through regular programmes, organised social events and activities, such as arts & crafts, cookery, music, outings, parties, as well as Shabbos and Yomtov parties. Matching individuals to volunteers who socialise together enables them to build meaningful friendships, increase their social map and learn to operate and integrate in to the wider community

Participants are able to forge relationships with each other as well as with our buddies, creating a sense of belonging and raising self confidence.


Promoting Teenage Volunteering
Volunteering is fundamental to the work we do. Volunteering for the Friendship Circle is not only fun for our volunteers but gives them the opportunity for self development, improved career prospects and the chance to give something back to the community.

Our young volunteers tell us that the Friendship Circle makes them look inwardly at themselves, helps them be non-judgemental and have more patience and empathy with the challenges faced by their special friends and their families.


Enhancing Spiritual Wellbeing
Events are planned around every Jewish Holiday giving a chance to experience the warmth and beauty of the Jewish traditions.

Shabbat meals are organised both on a group level and out in the community.

Jewish Craft workshops and Jewish cooking & baking classes, give hands on Jewish experiences.

Involvement in Jewish life and Jewish life experiences gives a sense of belonging and attachment as well as developing a spiritual awareness and wellbeing.

At the heart of all of the Friendship Circle's programming is the belief that each and every individual can be a productive member of the community.

The Friendship Circle aims to provide children and adults with autism and special needs with many of the social and recreational opportunities that are currently available to the general community. These experiences are essential building blocks for an individual to acquire confidence and self esteem and to ultimately lead a productive, normative adult lifestyle.

We envisage a world in which people with special needs and their families experience acceptance, inclusion and friendship as contributing members of society. We foresee a future where they never again have to suffer the social isolation that has often been so prevalent in society.

The Friendship Circle aims to create an environment that will nurture and inspire teenagers with meaning, purpose, self-value; a sense of connection, and responsibility to others.
We see this as essential to developing and producing the members and leaders of tomorrow.


Support for people with special needs has been an integral part of the Lubavitch programs since 1992. In 2008 we joined the Friendship Circle International umbrella organisation which operates in 72 communities and has almost 10,000 volunteers. Since then the programme has grown and we became an independent charity in 2010. Today we are actively engaging about 75 people with special needs and just over 100 teenage volunteers. The demand and feedback has demonstrated the need and value of our programmes and services. "Like a stone tossed into a pond, the ripple effect continues growing all the time."

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• Friendship
• Circle
• Specials
• needs
• friends
• helping
• community