Volunteering and Community development
VOLUNTEERING IS A KEY FUNCTION FOR HEALTHY AGEING
The development of NHS Neighbourhoods is in part due to the overdue recognition of the importance of voluntary work, the work done by both individuals and the organisations which support them - the VCFSE, Voluntary, Charity, Faith and Social Enterprise sector. This is welcome and overdue.
What is also emerging are the benefits of volunteering for the volunteers as well as for the people helped and the fact that many of the volunteers, in some organisations the majority, are older people. This benefit arises because volunteering is challenging, and it gives a sense of purpose - Ikigai. So as part of the Live Longer Better strategy it is essential to recognise and enable older people to make an even bigger contribution to their community, particularly to support younger people.
PROMOTING VOLUNTEERING IN EVERY NEIGHBOURHOOD THROUGH W:ISH
The W:ISH technology has established links with many of the key organisations, in part because of its membership of HealthierUK, and is working with the Virtual Village Hall and will enable opportunities for volunteering to be promoted. every Neighbourhood will be working with voluntary organisations but the promotion of volunteering as being beneficial for health and wellbeing, and for reducing the risk of dementia needs to be part of every strategy
The development of NHS Neighbourhoods is in part due to the overdue recognition of the importance of voluntary work, the work done by both individuals and the organisations which support them - the VCFSE, Voluntary, Charity, Faith and Social Enterprise sector. This is welcome and overdue.
What is also emerging are the benefits of volunteering for the volunteers as well as for the people helped and the fact that many of the volunteers, in some organisations the majority, are older people. This benefit arises because volunteering is challenging, and it gives a sense of purpose - Ikigai. So as part of the Live Longer Better strategy it is essential to recognise and enable older people to make an even bigger contribution to their community, particularly to support younger people.
PROMOTING VOLUNTEERING IN EVERY NEIGHBOURHOOD THROUGH W:ISH
The W:ISH technology has established links with many of the key organisations, in part because of its membership of HealthierUK, and is working with the Virtual Village Hall and will enable opportunities for volunteering to be promoted. every Neighbourhood will be working with voluntary organisations but the promotion of volunteering as being beneficial for health and wellbeing, and for reducing the risk of dementia needs to be part of every strategy