Giving Back, Transforming Care

A bold three-year campaign designed by Helpforce to inspire national conversations, foster deeper public engagement and shift perceptions of healthcare volunteering from a 'nice to have' to a strategic imperative.

Click the video to learn more.

Guided by our vision for a nation where volunteering is integral to healthcare being its very best

Giving Back, Transforming Care is our bold three-year campaign, starting in 2025, with two goals in mind:

Calling for investment

Securing substantial strategic investment from government, health organisations, and philanthropic funders for robust healthcare volunteering infrastructure

Raising awareness

Significantly raising awareness about the profound impact of expertly designed healthcare volunteer programmes

Why is there a need for this campaign?

Volunteers have a pivotal role to play

The Government’s narrative surrounding the new NHS 10-Year Health Plan clearly recognises that volunteers have a pivotal role to play in getting the NHS back on its feet, especially in bringing care closer to home through neighbourhood health centres.

Healthcare organisations don't all embrace this vision

We face a significant challenge: many healthcare organisations haven't yet embraced this vision or fully grasped the tremendous potential of volunteering in enhancing care and alleviating staff pressure. This disconnect means that volunteering remains insufficiently integrated into our healthcare system, potentially squandering a powerful resource that could help address health inequalities and systemic inefficiencies.

A shift in perception is crucial

We must fully shift the perception that 'volunteers are nice to have' to recognising them 'an integral part of modern healthcare.' Only when this mindset changes can meaningful action take place.

How are we going to deliver this campaign?

As the only UK charity solely focused on advancing high-impact volunteering across healthcare, we have established partnerships with over 100 NHS organisations, charities, and VCSE organisations, allowing us to support more than 1.1M people and garner evidence that volunteers can help tackle some of the NHS’s most challenging issues.

Through delivering far-reaching programmes, Helpforce has forged vital connections and developed crucial insights into scaling volunteering solutions for maximum impact.

Our evidence shows that

87 %

of staff agree volunteers improve the quality of care they can provide

78 %

of patients agree that support from volunteers helped them to feel less anxious, aiding their recovery

91 %

of volunteers agree or strongly agree their volunteering gives them a sense of purpose

87 %

of staff agree volunteers improve the quality of care they can provide

78 %

of patients agree that support from volunteers helped them to feel less anxious, aiding their recovery

91 %

of volunteers agree or strongly agree their volunteering gives them a sense of purpose

Working alongside partners, our Giving Back, Transforming Care campaign will focus on three key fronts:

Showing

Showing the transformative impact volunteers have on our healthcare system – reaching healthcare leaders, policymakers and the wider public.

Connecting

Building powerful alliances with health organisations and charities to deliver system-changing programmes

Advocating

Advocating for substantial investment in healthcare volunteering from government, health organisations, and philanthropic funders

Health leaders who back our campaign:

"Every day, thousands of clinically trained St John volunteers make a huge difference in communities across the country. From providing lifesaving care, to empowering people of all ages with the confidence to act in emergencies. Their work is vital and inspiring. We support Helpforce’s ‘Giving Back, Transforming Care’ campaign objectives and its mission to transform how volunteers, who generously give their time to others, are valued within the healthcare system.

Dr George Woods, Chief Strategy and Business Officer, St John Ambulance

"The scale and reach of Helpforce’s work is hugely impressive and it illustrates the phenomenal appetite for healthcare volunteering that exists among the general public. Expertly designed volunteering programmes can have a hugely positive impact on the NHS workforce by enabling them to focus on clinical care and I’m delighted that the charity’s new Giving Back, Transforming Care campaign will be shining a light on this."

Professor Clare Cable, Chief Executive, The Burdett Trust for Nursing

Volunteers who are 'Giving Back':

Karen's story

Alisha-Mai's story

Feeling an urge to give something back to the hospital that had saved her and her daughter’s lives, Karen Adams applied and soon found herself working one morning a week on cardiology and hematology wards as a ‘Visitor Volunteer’. Her role involves befriending patients, helping to put them at ease, and keeping an eye out for any difficulties they may be experiencing.

At just 17 years old, Alisha-Mai Stevens is already making a difference in the NHS.

Currently in sixth form, studying English Literature, Psychology, and History, Alisha-Mai volunteers every Saturday in the Discharge Lounge at Princess Royal Hospital in Telford. Her role involves offering patients drinks, collecting items from the pharmacy, and helping them prepare to leave hospital safely.

Freya's story

Chetan's story

When most 16-year-olds were focused on school, friends, and exams, Freya Gilbertson was stepping into a children’s hospital during the height of the global pandemic — not as a patient, but as a volunteer.

Freya grew up in Liverpool and had a personal connection to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital long before she wore a volunteer’s uniform. As a child, she underwent treatment for persistent ear problems that eventually required grommets, and her younger brother was monitored for a heart murmur when he was a baby.   

Chetan Bhakri exemplifies the extraordinary selflessness of healthcare volunteers who provide the theme for Helpforce’s major new campaign: ‘Giving Back, Transforming Care’.

The 50-year-old, who works full-time as a software engineer, spends his Saturday and Sunday evenings reporting for volunteering duties at Kingston Hospital.

He helps out in the hospital’s busy emergency department where he’s considered a key part of the team. Duties include keeping patients company and putting them at ease, providing hot drinks for and food for those awaiting care, and ensuring linen cupboards are well stocked.

Chetan’s motivation to help the NHS stems from his love for his younger brother, Amitabh, who was successfully treated for a serious heart condition last year.

“Volunteering makes me a better person and builds compassion in me. As a hospital volunteer, you realise that whatever pains and problems you have in life are nothing compared to what some people have to put up with.”

Karen's story

Alisha-Mai's story

Freya's story

Chetan's story

Volunteers who are 'Giving Back':

At just 17 years old, Alisha-Mai Stevens is already making a difference in the NHS.

Chetan Bhakri exemplifies the extraordinary selflessness of healthcare volunteers who provide the theme for Helpforce’s major new campaign: ‘Giving Back, Transforming Care’.

Chetan’s motivation to help the NHS stems from his love for his younger brother, Amitabh, who was successfully treated for a serious heart condition last year.

How to get involved:

If you are from a healthcare organisation and you wish to take part in the campaign, you can:

Get in touch to set-up a conversation to explore opportunities for developing large-scale volunteering programmes that can help: speed up the flow of patients through hospitals, hospices and health centres; ease pressure on your staff; free up beds; and help reduce waiting times for treatment

Share your volunteers’ individual stories with us so that we can include them in our media activity (liaising with your own comms team and ensuring your organisation features prominently)

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If you are a member of the public and wish to support this campaign, you can:

Share our social media posts (X and LinkedIn) to raise awareness of the impact of healthcare volunteering

If you are also a volunteer for a healthcare organisation, you can email Helpforce's Communications team at comms@helpforce.community to share your story with us and help raise awareness

Email us here

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