Volunteering Case Studies
The following stories and videos describe the many potential benefits of volunteering.
The benefits can include:
- improving the health or experience of recipients of care
- improving services for other people
- engaging with patients to free up staff time, and
- beneficial impacts on volunteers themselves.
Art in the Gart - gardening volunteers
Volunteers help maintain the gardens at Gartnavel Royal Hospital in Glasgow, providing a welcome haven for the local community during lockdown.
Find out moreGathering information to support the rollout of Virtual Visiting
Public partners reviewed 16 NHS boards' websites in November 2020 to establish how accessible current information and resources about Virtual Visiting were to patients and members of the public.
Find out moreBarbara Tucker Giving Back for NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
Barbara decided to volunteer as a way of "giving back" to her community after the kind assistance her late husband, Colin, received from volunteers whilst an in-patient at Inverclyde Royal Hospital.
Find out morePeer educators
Kidney Research UK has used volunteer peer educators of different faiths to raise awareness of kidney health and organ donation within South Asian communities in Edinburgh and Glasgow
Find out moreNHS Tayside volunteer activities during COVID-19 pandemic
Following the suspension of face-to-face activities due to the pandemic, NHS Tayside has continued to engage with its volunteers to help them stay connected, reduce feelings of isolation and make them feel valued.
Find out moreDavid, allotment volunteer, Fife
Volunteering can have a positive benefit on mental health. David, who volunteers with an NHS allotment in Fife, shares his experiences.
Find out moreWalk leaders, Western Isles
Volunteer Walk Leaders in NHS Western Isles are supporting people with lived experience of cancer, or who have family members going through cancer treatment.
Find out moreVolunteering in the NHS: COVID-19 response volunteers in NHS Tayside
NHS Tayside created a COVID-19 response volunteer role during the pandemic, providing a range of support for patients and staff
Find out moreCOVID Response Volunteer – Shopper at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital
COVID-19 Response Volunteer positions were created to enable volunteers in a variety of roles to continue to support their communities safely throughout the pandemic.
Find out moreRole of the Voluntary Services Manager
Voluntary Services Managers are responsible for the recruitment and support of volunteers in health settings. They play an important role in NHS Scotland.
Find out moreVaccination Clinic Volunteers, NHS Dumfries & Galloway
Volunteers play a vital role supporting flu clinics across NHS Dumfries & Galloway so that they ae safe and efficient for patients and staff.
Find out morePositive effect of volunteer visitors, Glasgow
Regular visits from volunteers helped reduce the isolation and anxiety felt by an elderly patient in Glasgow.
Find out moreMandeep and Subah, multilingual volunteer visitors, Glasgow
Students Mandeep and Subah are fluent in several languages. They visit patients in Glasgow and help to overcome isolation and language and cultural barriers.
Find out moreHelen, volunteer visitor, Ayrshire & Arran
Former patient Helen describes how the care and treatment she received during her stay in hospital inspired her to become a volunteer visitor following her recovery.
Find out moreMealtime volunteers, Borders
Mealtime volunteers in NHS Borders assist nurses with duties around mealtimes, including filling out menus, delivering trays and arranging food so that patients can eat independently.
Find out moreBreastfeeding in Borders Support (BiBS)
Volunteers in NHS Borders provide peer support, advice and guidance about breastfeeding to new mums.
Find out moreAnne and Willie, InS:PIRE volunteers, Fife
InS:PIRE is a rehabilitation programme designed to help support patients and their loved ones after a stay in intensive care. Anne and Willie are InS:PIRE volunteers at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy.
Find out moreAllan, volunteer visitor and Sunday Escort, Grampian
Allan is a volunteer with NHS Grampian's Chaplaincy department. He visits patients at the main mental health hospital in Aberdeen and helps them to attend worship services.
Find out moreMark, ABLE Youth Volunteer, Glasgow
Mark, 17, volunteers with ABLE Youth, a Glasgow-based initiative to educate young people about risk-taking behaviours and empower them to access health-related information.
Find out moreGeorge, carer and public rep, Borders
George tells how he began volunteering with NHS Borders once his caring responsibilities had finished and describes the support he received as a carer.
Find out moreInvernevis House care home, Highland
Volunteers at an NHS care home in Highland support the quality of life of residents through social activities and community links. This allows staff to focus on clinical needs.
Find out moreGordon, stroke peer support, Ayrshire & Arran
After suffering a number of strokes, Gordon volunteers with a peer support group. As well as supporting and encouraging other patients this has helped his own physical and emotional recovery.
Find out moreCommunity Chaplaincy Listening Volunteers
NHS Tayside and NHS Forth Valley support GP patients with a listening service run by trained and supervised volunteers.
Find out moreTherapeutic Touch Volunteers, Tayside
Volunteers provide a "therapeutic touch" service to support patients, carers and staff at Cornhill Macmillan Centre in Tayside.
Find out moreStewart, hospice driver, Fife
Volunteers help in a number of roles at Victoria Hospice in Fife. Staff greatly value the support volunteers give to patients and the Volunteer manager explains how volunteers are recruited.
Find out morePublic Partners, Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Healthcare Improvement Scotland's volunteers provide a valuable public perspective. They help with hospital inspections, translating technical language and checking that communities are involved.
Find out moreMental Health Volunteers, Forth Valley
In NHS Forth Valley, volunteers with experience of mental health conditions provide support to current patients. Getting involved has had a positive impact on volunteers' own mental health.
Find out moreConnect Group – community based volunteering in NHS Fife
In February 2020, Lisa visited the Connect Group in Kirkcaldy. The group is for people with a life-limiting illness, who have been discharged from palliative care day service.
Find out moreSpiritual care volunteering, Western Isles
Spiritual care volunteering offers support to people of all faiths and none. A volunteer in the Western Isles helps patients to attend weekly Sunday services in the hospital chapel.
Find out more