Time for Health
The Time for Health partnership has come together to provide a representative voice for all volunteers in health and to pave the way for greater collaboration between volunteers and health organisations across the UK.
The organisations that make up Time for Health all have grass roots experience of volunteering and health. They are testament to the enhanced care brought to patients, friends and family.
In particular, we know the contribution volunteering makes to enabling people to live independently in their local communities, especially for those coping with long term illness. Volunteering brings human warmth and personalises health and social services as well as increasing support at a local level.
We also know there are many complex barriers and challenges. There is no doubt that if volunteering in health is to grow, it must reflect the communities in which we live. Yet increasingly volunteers are over the age of 60 and mainly white.
Time for Health aims to increase learning and knowledge that will build a strong future for volunteering in health and social care. We plan to do this in a variety of ways:
- Holding national debates for leaders in the field, such as the Audrey Emerton debate
- Raising awareness through initiatives such as January's Health Month
- Running pilot projects in health and social care settings and disseminating the results widely
- Sharing experiences and improving skills by providing training courses for volunteer managers
Our latest event
House of Commons Reception - Promoting Young Volunteers
Time for Health hosted what was a very successful reception to promote the various projects that young volunteers have been pioneering for in health and social care across the country. It was held at the House of Commons on Tuesday 16thJune. Just over 100 people attended the reception along with a few MPs, officials, members, and partner organisations.
The reception was aimed to encourage and support the learning and knowledge obtained by their volunteering experience. Their projects included music, the arts, retail, website design and promotion and radio broadcasting. It also proved a fruitful networking event.
Here are the few positive comments given after the reception, which is a testament to the success of the reception and how it was well received by those who took part and those who attended.
“It was a good opportunity to see how much young people are involved in volunteering and I really think we must continue to encourage them to do so. Without these young people some organisations will simply fade away in the future and none of us would like that.”
June Snowden, National President of Hospital Broadcasting Association
“Made me want to get more involved with helping people in the community!”
Charlotte-Marie Warren, Music-in-Hospitals Volunteer musician
“It was wonderful to see so many young volunteers commended for their work”
Sheila Gent, Intergenerational Projects Manager Age Concern & Helped the Aged, Kingston
“There was a really great vibe in the room”
David Wood, CEO Attend
To read more about the Time for Health Partnership visit the website