Supported Volunteering

Supported volunteering is scheme where volunteers receive additional support in order to carry out their volunteer roles.

A volunteer may require extra support for a variety of reasons. For instance, they could:

• be lacking in confidence after a long period of unemployment
• have physical disabilities or health conditions
• have learning disabilities
• have mental health issues
• be homeless
• be striving to break patterns of negative behaviour, such as gambling or drug misuse
• be a non-English speaker

Types of Support

The support offered can take many forms, and will depend on the individual volunteer's needs. For instance, the volunteer coordinator will meet with the individual to discuss their needs and identify ways in which the organisation can support them to volunteer, or the volunteer may already have a carer or support worker who can assist them in performing their volunteer role.

Other types of support may include providing a buddy or a mentor, who could be either a more experienced volunteer or a member of staff. In some cases, volunteers may require extra supervision or support meetings.

The need for additional support isn't always ongoing, as some volunteers may only need extra support on their first day with the organisation, to help them settle in. For other volunteers, they may only need help with learning the route from their home to the project.

By offering a more in-depth level of support, the project broadens our volunteer base by recruiting from sections of the community that we may not have previously reached. By making volunteering more inclusive, the project benefits in diversity and creativity that every volunteer provides.