Comfort Companions offer simple digital conversation for older people waiting for, or between, human support.
Yvonne speaking with Rosie, one of the Comfort Companions.
The Wait Can Be Long and Lonely
In March 2026, Age UK South Gloucestershire had 220 older people waiting for befriending support.
Some wait months, sometimes years, with long quiet gaps between human contact.
In 2024, seven people on the waiting list died before a volunteer could reach them. Volunteers are doing everything they can, but demand is greater than capacity.
Comfort Companions Can Help Bridge the Gap
Designed and tested with Age UK South Gloucestershire, Comfort Companions offer simple, voice-led conversation for older people at home.
They are designed to sit alongside human contact, not replace it.
Comfort Companions help provide conversation and reassurance during the quiet gaps while people wait for human support.
Our mission is to make sure older people are not left unheard during long quiet periods.
Help Fund a Comfort Companion
Your support helps offer conversation and reassurance to older people waiting for human support.
For the cost of a few coffees a month, you can help fund Comfort Companions access for an older person waiting for Age UK South Gloucestershire befriending support.
Your contribution helps fund access, setup and support, so there is no cost to the older person using the service.
If all suitable people on the waiting list have been offered a Comfort Companion, any remaining Supporter Plan or Comfort Gift funds will support wider befriending, volunteer and digital inclusion work with Age UK South Gloucestershire.
You can also make a tax-free Community Support Donation directly to Age UK South Gloucestershire to support their wider community work.
We are working to make Comfort Companions available through more trusted community routes. Sign up for updates as the service develops.
Meet the Comfort Companions
Each person is matched with a Comfort Companion through supported onboarding. Different companions offer different conversation styles, so the right voice and tone can be chosen carefully.
Malcolm is lively and thoughtful, perfect if you enjoy swapping ideas or exploring life’s stories. He brings curiosity and a spark of conversation.
Frank is calm, practical and down-to-earth, perfect for when things feel a bit much. He offers simple, no-nonsense guidance and friendly company.
Edith listens with care and attention, giving you space for reflection, calm and peace of mind. She’s kind and always ready for a thoughtful chat.
Dorothy is patient and kind, perfect for quiet moments or when you just need someone to listen. She offers steady reassurance that helps lighten the day.
Rosie brings warmth and a cheerful outlook to every chat. She loves helping you rediscover little moments of joy and light in your day.
Find out which Comfort Companion is a match for you.
Bridging the Gap While People Wait
Comfort Companions is now being used within Age UK South Gloucestershire’s community services, with a focus on older people waiting for befriending support. With guided onboarding and follow-up, the service offers simple conversation and reassurance during quiet gaps while people wait for human contact.
Through work with the University of Exeter and Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, we are continuing to improve Comfort Companions so the service is shaped around real-world needs, safe use and supported delivery.
Why We Started Comfort Companions
Comfort Companions CIC was founded by Grant Mackenzie and his father, Tom, after seeing friends and neighbours struggle with loneliness and the pressures of caring for someone with dementia. Those experiences shaped a simple aim: to use technology carefully, alongside human support, so older people are not left unheard during long quiet periods.
The service has been shaped through early testing with older people, carers, Age UK South Gloucestershire staff and volunteers. Early feedback has been very positive, with users and supporters pointing to the simple, voice-led design as accessible and reassuring, even for people with limited digital confidence.
Grant and his dad talk to Frank and share how Comfort Companions began.
Our Delivery and Research Relationships
Privacy & Security
- Chats are private, safe and secure.
- Nothing said in conversation is recorded or listened to by anyone else. Even Comfort Companions staff cannot hear what is said.
- Conversations are only between the individual and their Comfort Companion.
- The Comfort Companions service is hosted in the UK on Microsoft’s Azure platform and follows UK privacy laws.
- The service was co-designed and tested with Age UK South Gloucestershire to keep safety and consent at its core.
- You can read our full Privacy Policy for more details about how your data is protected.
Service Disclaimer
- Comfort Companions are digital simulations of people. They are trained to provide wellbeing support.
- Like real people, Comfort Companions may occasionally make mistakes or provide inaccurate information.
- Comfort Companions are not trained to provide professional, legal or clinical guidance.
- The service does not provide medical advice or emergency response.
- Individuals who feel medically unsafe or require urgent assistance should contact emergency services by calling 999.
- For non-emergency medical advice, NHS 111 remains the appropriate service.