A message from Sir Thomas Hughes-Hallett, Founder, and Mark Lever, Chief Executive
As we face unprecedented changes to our way of life, Helpforce is working hard with colleagues across our health and care services by looking at practical ways volunteers can help take the strain off front line services.
Keeping you and your loved ones safe is an absolute priority, but we must not forget those alone and at higher risk. Please be confident that we are dedicated to doing more, and we encourage you to do the same. We are particularly inspired by the way so many across our communities are coming together to help.
If you are a volunteer manager we urge you to join our Network and connect with your colleagues around the UK who are discussing the many ways volunteers can help. To do this simply email Sally Williams our Network Manager at [email protected] If you volunteer in a healthcare setting and you are worried, we advise you to speak to your volunteer manager, and look at your Trust’s website for updated advice. We also recommend that you visit Public Health England’s website here.
Be the helpforce
We’re working with hospitals, healthcare workers and you to create the future of volunteering in the NHS
Like you, we’re proud of our National Health Service (NHS) and what it means to us all. From its groundbreaking inception, Sir William Beveridge envisioned the NHS as a place where volunteers and communities would always play an active role, but our lives, cities and institutions today are so different to the world he imagined.
While there are thousands of volunteers carrying out vital work, the system has yet to create a unified and integrated approach to NHS volunteering. At Helpforce, we believe that when we harness the power of dedicated and caring volunteers we can create a more compassionate care system for all of us.
In practical, positive terms, this means:
- better experiences of healthcare for patients
- more structured roles for volunteers
- more time for healthcare workers to focus on delivering the incredible work they’ve been trained to do.
See the difference
Having that extra pair of hands doing the little things really makes a difference. They are full of enthusiasm and this has a really positive impact on the ward.
The value that volunteers bring is undisputed. To help the NHS grow and protect its future, we’re at the forefront of a national movement, to ensure community-integrated healthcare becomes the norm across the UK. Hear from those who know the impact volunteering has on patients, staff and the volunteers themselves.
Stories & News
We’re creating a future where volunteering in the NHS can be part of our everyday lives – where there’s always a helping hand when you need it most.
Get involved
Join our Learning Network
To help healthcare professionals reap the benefits of shared knowledge, develop best practice and spread innovations we’ve created the Helpforce Learning Network. It’s just one part of our ambition to help make volunteering within the NHS efficient and effective.
Find your local hospital
From Scotland to Cornwall, we’re working with NHS Trusts and volunteer partners up and down the UK to enable volunteers to make a valued and lasting difference in their local hospitals.
Helpforce Champion Awards
When it comes to volunteers in the NHS ‘Thank you’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. Which is why we want to shout from the rooftops about the amazing work volunteers in our NHS do every single day. Our awards are kindly sponsored by Deloitte and NHS England.
