Maximizing the mental health benefits of volunteering

Volunteering has proven benefits for mental health and wellbeing – not just for people who choose to volunteer but for service users and paid colleagues. Here are some tips and guidance to help you build and maintain a mentally healthy volunteering culture in your organisation.

Volunteer Recruitment

Think about your volunteer recruitment – particularly for roles that can be emotionally demanding:

• Manage expectations of potential volunteers - be clear and explicit if a role has potential to be emotionally draining.
• Use training sessions as part of your selection process – it is not a “given” that all applicants will be selected.
• Include contributions from staff and service users in training sessions to ensure that potential volunteers get a comprehensive understanding of the scope and impact of their role.
• Be clear about minimum length of commitment (if there is one).

Challenges in Volunteer Recruitment

Be aware of current additional challenges in volunteer recruitment:

• Cost of living issues – ensure you reimburse any out-of-pocket expenses to ensure volunteers do not face financial barriers.
• Restrictions on time potential volunteers have – look at creating flexibility in roles to accommodate other commitments volunteers have e.g. focus student volunteer engagement during October to March to work round exams and assignments.
• Having “head space” for volunteer roles which are emotionally demanding – have systems in place to manage this.

Mentally Healthy Volunteer Culture

Create a mentally healthy volunteer culture:

• Acknowledge the power of volunteering in combating loneliness, isolation, confidence and low self-esteem - people have better mental health if they are purposefully occupied and know that what they do is of value and is appreciated.
• Ensure you have a welcoming and supportive culture.
• Ensure that all new volunteers are clear about their role and responsibilities – and that appropriate and proportionate support structures are in place.

Support Needs of Individual Volunteers

Manage the support needs of individual volunteers:

• Use the Wellness Action Plan (or an adapted version) to open conversations about support needs with individuals.
• Be clear about how much and what kind of support you can realistically offer to volunteers (managing expectations again).
• Signpost to mental health specialists if needed.
• Use support sessions/de-briefing/volunteers’ meetings to acknowledge successes and achievements. Don’t just focus on the things which haven’t gone as well as planned.
• Consider how you maintain confidentiality and boundaries.

Remember that different types of volunteer engagement have different types of mental health benefits – the “light touch” informality and group focus of volunteering in a community garden is as valuable, but different, from more intensive one-to-one volunteer roles. There are benefits and challenges in both.

Balance Everyone’s Needs

Balance everyone’s needs (including your own):

• Managing the support needs of volunteers and service users can be challenging – and particularly draining for staff who are juggling lots of balls at the same time.
• Acknowledge your own support needs and ensure you have measures in place to keep yourself sane e.g. regular time to talk things over with your manager &/or team, time on your own.
• Think about your own Wellness Action Plan.
• Tap into the support of other volunteer managers at VE’s monthly Inspire meetings Inspire Session.

You can read VolunteerWiki's Volunteers and Extra Support Needs, Support Workers and Volunteering and Supporting Neurodiverse Volunteers.

Monitor and Evaluate

Monitor and evaluate the mental health & wellbeing benefits to volunteers – this is useful for you to know, but also vital evidence to funders:

• Think about the best ways to monitor the impact on volunteers. Template self-appraisal form may be of use Volunteers' self appraisal - H&WB.
• Keep a record of your “golden nuggets” – stories, quotes and achievements which demonstrate the mental health & wellbeing benefits of volunteering with your organisation. These will be invaluable when you are reporting to funders or promoting your project to the general public.
• Consider the wider benefits – how is the wellbeing, resilience & connectedness of your local community improved?

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More help?

If you would like more help or advice please contact Volunteer Edinburgh on 0131 225 0630 or email: hello@volunteeredinburgh.org.uk

Or you can drop in and see us:

Volunteer Edinburgh

222 Leith Walk, EH6 5EQ