This focused discussion took place on 2 July 2025

Focus on attracting volunteers in a changing healthcare environment

Volunteers need flexibility and you are challenging and changing the culture and mindset of organisations with innovative ways of dealing with this situation

Young people

The challenge is finding innovative and flexible ways to encourage young people to volunteer and fit in sessions around their studies and work.

What motivates them?

Gain confidence and learn new skills that they can add to their CV

Insight into a future career.

Short-term roles

Roles

Helping to run art and craft groups.

Admin

Fundraising

Retail

One organisation would like to take on 16- to 18-year-olds to take on a ‘shaking buckets’ role but red tape is making it quite difficult.

Hywel Dda University Health Board fully supports engaging young volunteers as young as 16 and supports the Welsh Baccalaureate* and the Duke of Edinburgh Award schemes. *The Welsh Baccalaureate requires young people to spend fifteen hours on active community participation (Foundation Level). More information

As young people are struggling to commit to traditional volunteering, the Board has just brought in a new model, decreasing weekly hours from 4 to 2. However, some are still struggling due to educational and work commitments, so through their governance group they are setting up a ‘Community Participation Day’ model for volunteering. Rather than commit to a set number of hours each week, anyone wishing to volunteer can commit a full day 4 times a year to do, for example, a gardening project or bucket collection. The hope is that this model will encourage people to volunteer long term as well as catering for the younger population.

Due to the type of volunteering this will reduce the onboarding process, DBS’s will not be required, and they will be supported on-site by a paid member of staff.

Innovative Volunteer Roles

Setting up a new role can be a lengthy process so making sure Staff requests for new roles are appropriate is essential. To help with the process, it was suggested that the process is started with a New Volunteer Role Request Form.

Volunteers who are trained in Tai Chi and Qi Gong are providing exercise classes for people with long-term health conditions.

Lunchtime Volunteers – tasks can be completed within an hour and could include putting up recruitment posters, promoting events on social media or helping at events.

Summer school led by the ICB and local charity supporting asylum seekers and refugees who are looking for short-term volunteering.

Targeted recruitment

Volunteer teams have been reduced in many organisations so they are rethinking how they target recruitment to show a good return with minimal effort.

Top Tips

When advertising a role, be clear and precise about the type of person and skills required.
If you are looking for volunteers with specific skill sets, create a targeted campaign.
Use your local CVS and employability services to advertise roles. Good responses have been received from advertisements placed with Voluntary Action Leicester and Enfield Voluntary Action.
The NHS Volunteering web page can create a steady stream of responses.
Link in with your local Job Centre and attend job / volunteer fairs.
The traditional poster still works and will widen your demographic as not everyone is on social media. Place them in waiting rooms as patients or a person attending an appointment with them may be interested.
Work with your workforce team to go out to schools, colleges and universities promoting the opportunities that are available to them.
Create a poster about the volunteer roles available in your organisation. Patients would then be aware of what kind of service they can expect from volunteers as well as attracting new volunteers.
HR departments in some organisations target retired or ex healthcare professionals to volunteer by talking to them as they are coming up to retirement. Most will encourage staff to volunteer in a different area to the one they have worked in.
Set up a ‘Volunteer Bank’ particularly for those who require flexibility.

Measuring the success of different types of advertising.

To find out what works best for your organisation always ask the question “How did you find out about this volunteering opportunity?” Most organisations add this question to the application form.

Useful Links

Focused discussion on supporting and motivating young volunteers - 27 June 2024
Focused Discussion on engaging and bringing in young volunteers - 12 June 2024
Focused discussion on flexible volunteering - 20 September 2023
Examples of promotional posters can be found in our online resources here