Princess Alexandra Hospital in Young People Helping in Hospitals programme Pilot.

Nesta have now announced the four successful pilots in the Young People Helping in Hospitals programme. Princess Alexandra Hospital in Essex will focus on developing two roles for younger volunteers. Funded by the Department of Health and run by Nesta, the funds will support each hospital to expand the reach and impact of youth volunteering schemes, and to share the evidence of the impact that volunteering has had on patients and their families

Why are we doing this? - 

We know that thousands of volunteers are already giving their time to volunteer in their local hospital, helping to transform the lives of patients and their carers.

When they do, anecdotal evidence suggests this is both beneficial for the patient and the volunteer. We want to learn from hospitals as they expand their volunteering service and support them to measure their impact more effectively and share learning with others.

We also know that many volunteering workforces are largely made up of older volunteers. Our partner, the Department of Health, is interested in encouraging the health and social care sector to offer more quality opportunities for youth social action and volunteering.

The dementia buddies role will impact on patients’ experiences, reducing anxiety and supporting carers and the discharge role will help to support timely discharge to home after a hospital stay.