Volunteer now and support your community and the NHS

As well as providing valuable help to your community and the NHS, you can also boost your own health and wellbeing

As lockdown eases and the vaccination programme continues, the NHS still needs our help as it works to deliver the vaccine across Britain and to treat those worst affected by the virus. 

Your time helps free up NHS staff, allowing them to focus on these key priorities. It also supports the most vulnerable people in our communities and those who have been hardest hit by restrictions. We need thousands of volunteers to keep that support coming. You don’t need to be experienced as we’ll provide any training needed. All you need is time to spare and a desire to help us get this job done.

So many ways to help

There are so many ways you can help, from picking up someone’s shopping or prescription to offering a friendly phone call to help combat isolation and loneliness. Volunteering can be regular – the same two days each week, for example – or flexible, tailored to the time you have available.

Some of the ways in which local volunteers are improving the lives of people include helping vulnerable people recover after a hospital stay and transporting them to or from hospital, serving refreshments to staff and patients in retail sites and providing support through phone calls to those most isolated. You can also sign up for our new Emergency Response Volunteer role to come to the aid of communities and the NHS when urgent needs arise.

However, it’s not just the people receiving your support that benefit from volunteering. 81% of pandemic volunteers report better wellbeing and physical and mental health and more than a third (38%) of Royal Voluntary Service volunteers said that volunteering has also improved their confidence. As well as this they highlighted gaining new skills and work experience and an improved sense of connection to others in their community.

More volunteers are needed urgently to continue providing life changing support to vulnerable and isolated people. Royal Voluntary Service is encouraging anyone that wants to make a positive difference to the NHS and their community to sign up now and experience the countless benefits of volunteering. Please step forward and help your local community stay healthy and happy.