Greater Manchester volunteers needed to help communities and boost wellbeing

Leading volunteering charity, Royal Voluntary Service, is calling for people across Greater Manchester to step forward to volunteer – not only to support those most vulnerable in their communities, but to boost their own wellbeing too this autumn.

Locally, new volunteers are urgently needed to support people as they return home after being in hospital in their Home from Hospital service, and many more are needed at their Marple lunch club in Stockport.

Royal Voluntary Service has been providing invaluable support to people in need in Greater Manchester both before and during the coronavirus pandemic.

With the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery, the charity and its volunteers are able to improve health and wellbeing, resilience, confidence and connections of some of Manchester’s most vulnerable people.

Some of the ways in which local volunteers are improving the lives of people in Greater Manchester include helping vulnerable people recover after a hospital stay, helping out or preparing meals at their local lunch club, and supporting as an NHS Volunteer Responder Steward Volunteer at vaccination centres.

People are also being encouraged to sign up for a new Emergency Response Volunteer role, to form a team of standby volunteers who will be ready to come to the aid of their communities and their NHS when urgent needs arise.

However, it’s not just the people on the receiving end of the support that benefit from volunteering.

As a result of donating their time, Royal Voluntary Service volunteers report better physical health; mental health and wellbeing, with 81% of pandemic volunteers reporting an improvement in this; new skills and work experience; and a sense of connection to others in their community.

In a recent report more than a third (38%) of Royal Voluntary Service volunteers said that volunteering has also improved their confidence.

“The feedback we get from the people that we support is often that the help of our service and our volunteers is a real lifeline for them,” said Jennifer Scott, Royal Voluntary Service, North West.

“Our volunteers are changing and improving people’s lives in Manchester every day.

“They volunteer completely selflessly, but it’s incredible to see how much their service changes their lives too.

“If you’d like to join our close-knit team of amazing volunteers, any time you can offer will go a long way to supporting your community and you’ll meet some fantastic people along the way.”

Now, the Royal Voluntary Service in Greater Manchester is encouraging more people in the area to discover the joys of volunteering whilst keeping their local community healthy and happy.

“Volunteering your time is one of the best things you can do for your community and for yourself,” Laura Chow, People’s Postcode Lottery.

“The numerous benefits of volunteering work both ways.

“By stepping forward this autumn, not only will volunteers be helping those that need extra support to get through the toughest months, but they’ll be boosting their own physical and mental health and wellbeing too.”

Royal Voluntary Service is encouraging anyone that wants to make a positive difference to their community and experience the countless benefits of volunteering to step forward and find out about roles in their area at royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk.