v/Attend research project

Supported by v, the national youth charity, we have launched an online survey to find out what 16 to 25 year olds in England feel about volunteering in health settings.

Volunteering in a hospital has stereotypically been the domain of twin set-and-pearls and tea trolleys but Attend already knows that hundreds of young people across England are giving their time to improve the health and social care of their communities.

The research hopes to find out what 16 to 25 year olds think about volunteering in hospitals and social care, and what barriers are stopping young people from giving their time in this way.

Alongside the online survey will be a number of focus groups that give deeper insight into young people’s attitudes including their opinions on current health issues and elements of their own health that matter most to them.

Attend is aiming to have surveyed the opinions of a thousand 16 to 25 year olds by mid-May and will use the research as a way to design better volunteering opportunities that give young people what they want.

Chief Executive of Attend, David Wood, says “Year by year we are seeing an increase in the number of young people coming to us to give their time. It is vital that we can give them volunteering opportunities that not only benefit the patient or the wider community but that the young person enjoys and will encourage them to volunteer again in the future.”

To take part in the survey go to www.fortonbank.org.uk/surveys/attendV

A final report will be published in the summer and will hopefully enable and inspire those providing volunteering in health to respond to the needs of young people.

For more information about v, please go to their website www.vinspired.com.