What impact does charity volunteering have on volunteer mental health?

According to a new survey, four in five volunteers at major charities say that the activity improves their mental wellbeing.

The survey – that shared data anonymously – was conducted with 28,494 volunteers from 10 major charities including Citizens Advice, Girlguiding, National Trust, RNIB, Royal Voluntary Service, RSPCA, RSPB, Scouts, the British Red Cross, and Trussell Trust. These organisations are members of ‘Shaping the Future with Volunteering’, which is a coalition of 31 charities who are seeking to better promote and support volunteering.

The key findings were that:

• 80% reported improved wellbeing
• 69% said they had benefitted from gaining new skills and knowledge
• 89% felt comfortable being themselves, could express their opinions freely and felt listened to whilst volunteering
• 85% said they had flexibility around their volunteering commitment
• 85% recommended their respective charity as a great place to volunteer

Although this survey only provides a sample of how charity volunteering can have a positive impact on volunteer mental health, it provides a benchmark for charities to aspire towards.  

With these statistics in mind, it’s crucial that charities develop a positive ethos, supported by an infrastructure that can make this possible. In the next section, we take a deeper dive into this area.

How charity organisations can help support volunteer mental health

It feels good to give back. Anyone who has made a gesture without any expectation of receiving anything in return will feel a sense of positivity.

However, while volunteering is commendable, it is still a commitment that can take its toll. This is especially the case if a volunteer isn’t provided with the sufficient level of support, guidance, and recognition.

In order to avoid this – and taking the results from the previous section into account – there are certain focus areas that you may wish to consider in order to support a volunteer’s experience, and, in turn, their mental health.

The following can help to support volunteer mental health:

1. Clear recruitment process

Right from the outset, a swift and safe onboarding process is a must.

Once a respective volunteer has applied for their role, it’s essential that the recruitment process is clear and informative throughout. This should include key details such as:

• Information regarding the role itself e.g. role profile or description, location, and when they can volunteer
• What actions volunteers will need to complete during the recruitment and induction process e.g. having a criminal records check or reading your volunteer policy
• Clearly communicating the stage at which the applicant is in the process
• Any outstanding tasks or information that need to be provided

A smooth recruitment and induction process provides a volunteer with a great first impression, and helps to avoid any avoidable apprehension prior to starting their role. Once this process has been completed, your volunteer can hit the ground running with a positive frame of mind!

2. Simple and frequent communication

Another essential step you should take is to promote frequent communication between the Volunteer Manager and their respective volunteer.

This communication should be regular and frequent, right from the initial onboarding process, through to the volunteer's day-to-day activities. Scenarios can include:

• Organising shifts
• Task management collaboration
• Latest news and organisation updates
• Constructive feedback and recognition

With 89% of volunteers feeling they were able to express their opinions freely, it’s crucial that this communication works very much on a two-way basis. The Volunteer Manager should therefore be available to provide support for the volunteer as or when it is required. Knowing that they have this means of communication enables the swift ironing out of any potential obstacles, providing the volunteer with the required confidence to get fully involved and perhaps even take on additional responsibilities.

3. Flexible shifts

As the previous section states, 85% of those who took part in the survey outlined that they had flexibility around their work commitments.

Flexibility in agreeing when volunteers have their shifts is beneficial to both the charity and volunteer. With self-serve options now widely available, the logistics around a more flexible approach, moving away from hard start and finish times, is increasingly possible.

A flexible approach such as this demonstrates mutual respect. And where volunteer mental health is concerned, this level of flexibility will provide the volunteer with peace of mind that they can balance their role with any other commitments they have in their personal lives.

4. Mutually agreed tasking

With 69% of volunteers stating that they’d benefitted from gaining new skills, providing interesting tasks is essential to ensuring mental stimulation.

While volunteers may not complete much training beyond the required compliance courses, it’s very possible for them to learn new skills by performing tasks within their role. Similar to agreeing shifts, there can be a collaboration between the volunteer and their Volunteer Manager.

Ensuring that the volunteer is able to develop and grow within their role is likely to result in a sense of pride and achievement – which can only be a benefit to their mental health.

Find out how Assemble can help you to support volunteer mental health

A happy environment is a productive environment. Volunteer mental health is therefore of paramount importance to the charity sector.

As most volunteers seemingly enjoy their roles, it’s essential that you provide them with the support and development they require. Our volunteer management system, Assemble, is a software solution that enables you to meet the requirements of your volunteers by supporting them through their respective volunteer journey.

Whether you wish to swiftly and safely onboard volunteers through the recruitment process, collaborate on day-to-day tasks and shifts, or provide them with the personalised feedback that encourages a positive work environment, Assemble has you covered.

Speak to a member of our team, who will be happy to discuss Assemble’s niche features in more detail with you.