Sue Ryder highlights changing face of volunteering

1 June 2010

Over recent years volunteering has evolved and become much more diverse and professional, says Sue Ryder. A partner of this year’s Volunteers Week (1-7 June), the healthcare charity is using the event to celebrate its 8,700 volunteers and highlight the vital role volunteering plays in today’s society.

Tracey Mealing said, “In 2007/08 volunteers contributed an estimated £22.7 billion to the UK economy* and increasingly more people are recognising the benefits of volunteering, for themselves, the charities they support and society as a whole.

“As well as supporting Sue Ryder raise vital funds to provide end of life and long term care to people across the UK, volunteering acts as an effective stepping stone to paid employment and our prisoner volunteer programme has supported the rehabilitation of 89 prisoners and their reintegration into society.

“Our volunteers provide us with tremendous support, without which we would see a significant decline in voluntary income raised to support our health and social care services. My heartfelt thanks, as ever, go out to all our fantastic volunteers.”

In the past year, Sue Ryder has seen its volunteer support grow by an additional 2,000 people (an increase of 23%), and a wider age range of people offering their support – with the number of male volunteers and people aged under 21years more than doubling.*

Tracey added, “In a tough employment market we have seen an increase of graduates and people made redundant or looking for a career move volunteering for us. Creating a wide range of volunteering roles has also enabled us to recruit more male as well as female support. I’d encourage everybody to consider volunteering some of their time and skills to Sue Ryder. Whether people want to give something back because they have been touched by the charity or to add essential experience to their CV, there is a role for everybody to help us continue to make a difference.”

Sue Ryder promotes over 600 volunteering roles on its website, the widest selection of volunteer roles within the voluntary sector, and can develop bespoke roles where relevant. The charity endeavours to match volunteers’ interests, skills and aspirations to the roles it assigns to ensure a mutually positive and rewarding experience.

Nick Batten (20) from London, former volunteer and now paid employer at Sue Ryder’s Head Office, said: “Volunteering at Sue Ryder was great and everybody always made me feel part of a team. I’ve learnt some good transferable skills and was delighted when an opportunity to apply for paid employment came up within the charity. For me, volunteering was a great career move.”

Volunteers are essential to help Sue Ryder raise vital funds to continue to provide quality care for people living with end of life and long-term conditions including; Cancer, Stroke, Brain Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Dementia, Huntington’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and Motor Neurone Disease.

For information on volunteering to support Sue Ryder click here, email info@sueryder.org or call 0845 050 1953.

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* Volunteering England, May 2010
** From May 2009 to May 2010 Sue Ryder male volunteers increased from 677 to 1489 and people aged 21 years and under rose from 311 to 665.

Sue Ryder volunteer voices:

Nick Batten (20) from Islington, London is volunteer database officer at Sue Ryder, and volunteered for the charity’s Volunteering Team from July 2009 to January 2010. His role included database management of 8,700 volunteers.

Nick, now employed by the charity, says: After leaving college I decided to volunteer to get some work experience to add to my CV, with the aim that I would then be able to secure paid employment. Volunteering at Sue Ryder was great and everybody always made me feel part of a team. I’ve learnt some good transferable skills and was delighted when an opportunity to apply for paid employment came up within the charity. For me, volunteering was a great career move.”

Former prisoner and retail business support manager in Essex at Sue Ryder, Martin Elliott, said: "Whilst in prison, thanks to Sue Ryder’s Prisoner Volunteer Programme, I was able to volunteer at the charity’s shop in Hadleigh. This was very important to the person I am now as it not only got me back into the work ethic but let me see another side of life. When I was involved in crime and drugs, I only meet people who were involved in the same things. Now I am surrounded by good, honest people who work for what they want and treat me as a like-minded person. I am now out of jail, have turned my back on my previous life and have never been happier. Thanks to Sue Ryder this doesn’t feel like a fresh start it feels more like my life has just begun."

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