Volunteering for Wellbeing

Danielle Garcia: "you don't need any skills or heritage knowledge to get involved. We take on people that are long term unemployed, people who are feeling isolated, young people that just have no direction and want some new skills and experience. It's about getting involved in your local heritage venues and gaining new experience and confidence to take that next step."

Matt: "volunteering in general is a great thing because you find something you love and then, you know, you can jump in with both feet."

Linda: "I work on the gallery dealing with money, the money gallery. Every week I come in and I deal with showing the money to the public and that's known as object handling."

Danielle: " we know that it helps people develop in confidence, in their wellbeing, we see changes in people from when they start to when they finish and they say that the programme has really supported them along the way. So that's what it's all about. It's about making people feel happier about themselves, within themselves."

Claire: "the Museum of Science and Industry has been a really, really great place to work. There's a really diverse range of collections and it's just been great. It's been a real privilege."

Danielle: "Volunteers embark on a 10 week training programme which is delivered once a week at each of our venues. On completion of the training, volunteers are offered a six week placement at our partner venues. Those consist of National Trust Dunham Massey, Odsall Hall, the Manchester Jewish Museum, People's History Museum, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery and the Gallery of Costume."

Phil: "Professionally, apart from the experience of dealing with the public, I've also got more confidence in myself. I'm starting to do things away from the museum that I wouldn't have necessarily done before because I didn't feel comfortable doing them. But I've expanded my field of experience, I've expanded my comfort zone, and the other thing is I'm starting to look at different jobs that I thought I wouldn't necessarily have done before because I just didn't think I was capable."

Linda: " here I feel like I'm contributing, I feel like I'm part of a team and that my time is valued, especially when the public really have a good interaction with you, you just feel like a job well done, like you've done something to make sure somebody's day feels a but better or enriched, and I feel enriched because of that."

Maryam: "it helped me personally because I am a very shy person, or I was, and it's actually given me the confidence to go out there and seek new opportunities. And also just talking face to face with guests at the museum and visitors, it's something that I would never have done before."

Paul: "I'm using this as rehabilitation for PTSD. It's given me something back. If I've got a problem, I just come to work and I'm happy."

Matt: "If it's something you like, you're going to put more effort into it, you're going to really enjoy it, and it's, you know, allows you to gain life skills, it helps you with your job preferences, and on the whole it's something you can be really happy that you've done."

Claire: "it has been one of the best things I've ever done. It really boosts your confidence. It will really bring yourself to a better place. It will give you an aim and a purpose, you'll make new friends, you'll just have a really really good time on the course."

Phil: "If you get the opportunity, take it with both hands and run."

National evidence shows volunteering makes a big difference to people's well-being. We wanted to find out how volunteering in heritage could help people at risk of isolation and who are struggling with unemployment, mental health, or disability. So 10 museums in Greater Manchester embarked on a three-year project. We used our unique galleries collections and staff expertise as the main source of training, inspiration, and learning. We developed a new training and placement program to build people's capabilities, knowledge and self-belief. During and after the
program participants confidence and mental well-being improved significantly. Many continue to volunteer and some found employment or education opportunities. 

To assess the impact of the program we chose to use a social return on investment model. This measures the benefits of heritage volunteering to society and also to the wider economy. Putting a financial value on increased well-being and the wider benefits proved to be a complicated process. So over the life of the project evidence was collected in different ways and from different sources. To make sure it was also as accurate as possible we took into account changes that might have happened anyway. This model tells us that for every £1 invested this program generates £3.50 in social and economic value. People told us that their experience created a sense of connection across time. This enhanced their self-awareness, their belonging, imagination and ability to communicate better with others. It increases confidence and self-worth and most importantly it helps people realize their full potential and to take that next step in supporting their own well-being. 

volunteering for wellbeing is helping people to change their lives and adding more value to society. Imagine how many more people we can reach with more supporters on board. To read the final evaluation report please visit our website www.volunteeringforwellbeing.org.uk.