Frequently Asked Questions
What is Capital Volunteering?
Capital Volunteering tackles issues of mental health and social inclusion, through volunteering. We help existing organisations to enable people with serious mental health issues to volunteer in a wide range of settings, increasing their confidence, skills, social networks and employability.
Why are we different?
There are many good examples of volunteering programmes and opportunities for mental health service users, and of befriending or buddying programmes. We have built on these good examples, significantly increasing available volunteering opportunities and nurturing innovative approaches to mental health, social exclusion and volunteering.
Where do we operate?
The project operates across 11 London boroughs: Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark, Camden, Islington, Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, and Hillingdon. We also support 5 pan-London BME projects.
Who are our partners?
The lead partners are CSV and the London Development Centre (LDC). Other partners include a wide range of voluntary organisations, community organisations and employers, and four Mental Health NHS Trusts: Camden and Islington, South London and Maudsley, North East London, and Hillingdon.
How can volunteering help people in their recovery?
Volunteering is a valuable tool for social inclusion and can help people with mental health issues improve their sense of self-worth, confidence, social networks and skills as well as support them moving on with their lives and develop a positive view of the future.
What are the key things about your approach that have worked?
A strong commitment to being people and community-centred, focused on making a positive impact on people's lives, convinced of the power of volunteering, based on principles of reciprocity. This is reflected in robust monitoring and evaluation systems that focus on outcomes rather than outputs.
The flexibility of our funding and approach means that projects can adapt and evolve, rather than sticking rigidly to their original plans. This flexibility has also helped with supporting and fostering innovation and new approaches.
A commitment to shared learning - through an open and inclusive learning network; working with the media and others to disseminate what we have learned and making this available to all through our website and publications
A mixture of continual championing/leadership of BME issues, ring fenced funding for BME projects as well as targets within mainstream projects has enabled us to achieve a high level of BME service user participation (44%).
How has the programme tackled barriers to social inclusion?
One way is that we have involved community and voluntary organisations outside of the mental health sector and not associated with the stigma/fear associated with mental health. This has helped with the BME participation and also generated significant evidence that service users have engaged in positive new relationships and in use of services outside of the mental health 'ghetto'.
