Two pieces of research have got me thinking about the impact of volunteering. The first is an estimate of the difference volunteers are making in NHS hospitals published by the Kings Fund. They calculate that although there is comparatively little known about the work of volunteers across the NHS they are contributing 13 million hours every year. Meanwhile a piece of research from Glasgow Life from 2010 looks at the impact of people’s involvement in art. Connecting people up with public goods such as museums, galleries and theatres is linked to better health, possibly because the people who attend have positive interactions with others. A particularly effective method to encourage people to try those facilities is a trusted person to take them there, to get the process started. Cultural organisations have to be ready to welcome people and keep learning about how to involve different groups of people.

These two articles overlap with the project I work on - Parent Champions. It relies on the idea of a ‘trusted guide’ as described by the research from Glasgow Life, and organisations ready to welcome new people. But rather than guiding someone to use a cultural building the emphasis is on the services that will help outcomes for young children, especially through early learning settings and at home. A great opportunity for many parents is the free childcare place for two-year-olds where children from disadvantaged families can learn, play and socialise with other children, helping with their early years of development. Parent Champions are volunteers who know their local communities, getting the message out and answering questions from parents about childcare and other family services. It makes an even greater difference if they are a parent who has seen the benefits of early learning for their own two-year-old so can talk from experience. Volunteers are giving something of themselves and their journey. They share what they have learned as a gift to the people in their community and they learn things, too, along the way.

I was interested in the research from the Kings Fund about volunteering in hospitals because it made me realise that individual people, who feel strongly about helping people in the nearby hospital, add up to be a massive force for good. Together they contribute hours of “hello’s”, listening and thoughtful actions that would be greatly missed if they were not there. On a different scale the Parent Champions are taking those small actions that add up to hundreds of parents knowing what support is available to them to help their child. Each Parent Champion speaks to a few parents every week but together over a month they are reaching about 3,600 parents, telling them about childcare and local services.

As an organisation we are really proud of the Parent Champions project and it is exciting to see new schemes start across England. Collectively they add up to a big difference for families but the big picture rests on thousands of small but significant interactions that send families in a new, positive direction. This Volunteers’ Week we want to celebrate the work of our growing network of volunteers, who are making a difference to the lives of thousands of families across England.

Chloe Alexander

Project Officer