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About the Volunteering for Health Programme

Volunteering for Health is a £10 million national programme to show how volunteering can and must be a vital part of delivering health and social care now and in the future.

It aims to recognise the significant untapped potential for volunteering to enhance service delivery, improve patient and staff experience, and boost routes into the health and care workforce. The three-year programme is being delivered in partnership between NHS England, NHS Charities Together and CW+, the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The Volunteering for Health programme aims to maximise the benefits of volunteers as a vital resource in delivering health and social care nationally and locally, whilst strengthening volunteering infrastructure. Volunteer Cornwall are the Cornish organisation leading the partnership to deliver on these outcomes.

The goal is to link people in hospitals with their communities developing an environment where volunteers will be able to move more freely between the hospital setting and out into community organisations to better support patient wellbeing without the need for completing multiple sign-ups.

Our focus is on supporting local people during their time in hospital and continuing to support them out in the community. Volunteers will be visiting and befriending individuals on the wards, learning about their needs, and continuing to support the people as they transition back into their homes by connecting them to community services and groups.

Watch our video to hear more about our mission with Volunteering for Health:

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Programme Sites

We are pleased to be able to be launching the Volunteering for Health programme with three hospital sites:

West: Camborne Redruth Community Hospital

Central: RCHT Treliske Hospital

East: Stratton Community Hospital

By having these sites spread out like this, it allows us to support people across a wider range and gain invaluable insight into what works best for different areas within Cornwall.

As the programme develops and expands, we hope to be able to continue to roll out Volunteering for Health across more hospitals across Cornwall.

Programme Partners

We are excited to be working with a range of excellent partners to deliver the Volunteering for Health programme.

The current partners involved in the programme are:

• Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
• Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust Treliske
• Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum
• Cornwall Community Hub Network
• NHS Intergrated Care Board
• NHS England
• NHS Charities Together
• CW+, the official charity of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Volunteer with the Programme

This is an exciting opportunity for volunteers to support individuals across health and community settings. It is a fantastic opportunity for volunteers to help shape the role and build the way we think about volunteering within health and social care.

The Volunteering for Health volunteers will provide a vital bridge between hospital and the community, supporting patients, alongside hospital staff and community organisations, to improve their wellbeing and enhance the patient journey.

The Volunteering for Health programme offers a broad and flexible role for volunteers to work with people while in hospital and continuing to work with them during their recovery, usually for up to 6-8 weeks.

Due to the flexible nature of the role, volunteers may be asked to help in a range of ways. These could include:

• Talking to/befriending patients in a ward.
• Providing social activities for patients within a ward.
• Having a cuppa and a chat with people on the ward.
• Accompanying patients for a walk outside or around the hospital site.
• Helping to make a home ready for someone leaving hospital.
• Supporting with shopping or medicine collections during someone’s recovery time at home.
• Accompanying people to community groups or activities to help with anxiety and confidence building.

The flexibility of the role also allows for us to include new ideas or activities that volunteers might want to bring to the role from their existing skills and experiences.

All volunteers will receive relevant induction and training.

Expenses: Volunteers will be reimbursed any expenses for travel requirements for any activities that are carried out as part of their Volunteering for Health role.

Wellbeing: Staff will compete follow-up calls with volunteers to ensure that you are safe and happy with the arrangements for their role and that they are comfortable with the work that they are being asked to undertake.

Should any volunteer feel they need support through counselling or wellbeing sessions from a qualified professional

What are the benefits to volunteers?

By signing up as a Volunteering for Health volunteer, you will gain the following benefits:

• Enhanced CV.
• Access potential NHS career pathways.
• Learn new skills.
• Meet new people.
• Build confidence and self-esteem.
• Give back to your local community.
• Opportunity to help co-design the future of the Volunteering for Health programme.

Where can I volunteer?

We are currently looking for volunteers in the following areas to support people in and out of the local hospitals:

• Camborne
• Redruth
• Truro
• Bude

How do I sign up?

Register your interest in supporting the Volunteering for Health programme by completing our Volunteer Interest form.

https://forms.microsoft.com/e/k3SX7RJnp4  

Get in Touch

If you have any questions about Volunteering for Health or would like to know more, please get in touch with by emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling us on 01872 265307.

 

 

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