# New guide published on supportive volunteering for volunteer organisations

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/06/08/new-guide-published-on-supportive-volunteering-for-volunteer-organisations/
- Published: 2022-06-08T10:00:00+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**A guide is on offer to help volunteer organisations design supportive volunteering
roles for people with health and social care needs that may be referred through 
social prescribing.**

_7 steps to wellbeing through volunteering: How to link to social prescribing_ is
published by the National Academy for Social Prescribing [NASP] and the Royal Voluntary
Service (RVS) as part of the [Accelerating Innovation in Social Prescribing programme](https://socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/our-work/accelerating-innovation/).

The 7 steps are:

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 1. Meet people where they are
 2. Make it personal
 3. Put wellbeing at the heart 
 4. Build circles of support
 5. Make it social
 6. Remember it’s a journey 
 7. If you treasure it, measure it

​The full guide expands on each point, explaining why it matters and what can be
done to ensure these principles are at the heart of any volunteering programme for
people who have been socially prescribed. Published on the website alongside the
guide, there will also be tools and resources for organisations wanting to learn
more or integrate the advice into their programme.

Demonstrating these ideas in action there are also two case studies of people who
have been prescribed a voluntary role that has had a positive impact on their health
and wellbeing.

The Accelerating Innovation programme is a partnership between The National Academy
for Social Prescribing, Royal Voluntary Service and NHS England & Improvement. The
programme champions innovative ideas and approaches to social prescribing especially
those which address health inequalities and Covid-19 recovery strategies. The aim
is to reach more people and transform more lives across the country.

Ingrid Abreu Scherer, Head of Accelerating Innovation at NASP, said: 

> “Charities and community groups are great at providing rich and meaningful volunteering
> opportunities. This guide helps them think about what else they could do to include
> volunteers who are referred through social prescribing, to make sure as many people
> as possible can benefit from the experience.”

Jarina Choudhury, Strategic Volunteering Lead, NCVO, commented: 

> “I’m delighted that this guide supports good volunteering in social prescribing
> and that it chimes with many of the [Vision for Volunteering’s](https://www.visionforvolunteering.org.uk/)
> key themes – in particular, that volunteering should be accessible and welcoming,
> removing barriers from those who would most benefit.
>  
> “The strengths-based approach also reflects the Vision’s desire to see more power
> in the hands of volunteers, and the emphasis on building circles of support builds
> on what the Vision says about making collaboration and experimentation in volunteering
> more mainstream.”

 * **[Huge charity volunteer effort supports Lying-in-State queue](https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/09/15/huge-charity-volunteer-effort-supports-lying-in-state-queue/)**(
   15 September 2022)
 * **[Employee volunteering could generate £17bn a year for charities](https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/10/27/employee-volunteering-could-generate-17bn-a-year-for-charities/)**(
   27 October 2022)
 * **[1 in 10 people would volunteer this winter if asked](https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/12/05/1-in-10-people-would-volunteer-this-winter-if-asked/)**(
   5 December 2022)
