A new funding
model designed to broaden and strengthen investment in
volunteering in health and social care was unveiled today by Care
Services Minister, Phil Hope.
The Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund, will pave the way
for a renewed focus on volunteering projects in the NHS and social
care by managing the grants system centrally.
It replaces the Opportunities for Volunteering (OFV) scheme which
has been running since 1982. The new scheme will continue to
support local volunteering projects in health and social care, and
open up the floor to national projects to improve health and wellbeing.
The scheme will award grants for dozens of volunteer projects
which could include schemes such as providing friendship and
support to vulnerable adults, community services for disabled
children and help for those living with and affected by HIV. It
will prioritise projects which work towards key aims such as
improving adult social care and reducing health inequalities.
Care Services Minister Phil Hope said:
“Volunteers do an amazing job and are vital to the lifeblood of
the NHS and social care services.
“This new funding system will offer more scope for national
projects in areas such as obesity, smoking and young people’s
health. It will make our money work harder by opening up funding
opportunities to more organisations.”
The scheme will be managed by a partnership including leading
national third sector bodies, Attend, Community Service Volunteers
(CSV) and Prime Timers working with ECOTEC.
The new Fund’s central administration will ensure value for money
and mean that any third sector organisation can apply for funding.
It will also be more thorough in contributing to promoting best
practice for partnerships between the NHS, social care and third
sector organisations. By evaluating the success of all funded
projects and sharing new learning and good practice, it will help
strengthen the bonds between local commissioners and third sector
organisations.
Lynne Berry, Chief Executive of WRVS said:
”Volunteering contributes to the health and well-being of those
who volunteer and those who are supported through volunteering. It
has a major impact on reducing health inequalities, challenging
ageism and promoting strong and integrated communities. I very
much welcome this new fund and I'm sure the experience of
the ECOTEC partners makes them ideally placed to support both the
local and national schemes.”
Rob Jackson, Director of Development and
Innovation for Volunteering England
said:
“Volunteering England welcomes the Department of Health’s
announcement that Ecotec will manage the new Health and Social
Care Volunteering Fund. The new fund will build on the important
legacy of the Opportunities for Volunteering programme which has
been running since the 1980s and will make a strategic investment
in developing Health and Social Care volunteering. We look forward
to working with Ecotec and the Department of Health to maximise
the impact of this investment and meet the future challenges of
this important area of volunteer engagement.”
Carolyn Hay on behalf of the partnership said:
"Our partnership is delighted to have been invited to
develop this new fund for the Department of Health. The four
partners have a wealth of third sector experience and extensive
grant management expertise. We see this as a fantastic opportunity
for all involved to build a positive future for volunteering in
health and social care."
Notes to Editors
ECOTEC will manage the new Health and Social Care Volunteering
Fund along with their partners PrimeTimers, Attend and CSV.
2. ECOTEC is an independent, employee-owned specialist
programme management company with a network of offices throughout
England and Europe. For more detail see www.ecotec.com
PrimeTimers is a social enterprise that
places experienced business people into third sector organisations
to bring about organisational change. PrimeTimers will provide
diagnostic services and tailored support, as well as fostering
long term sustainability.
Attend has 60 years experience as a
membership organisation for voluntary groups working in health and
social care, currently with 750 members. Attend will support
projects with training and action learning sets.
CSV (Community Service Volunteers) has a
track record of nearly 50 years delivering innovative volunteering
support services for people with a range of social and health care
needs. CSV will provide support consultancy and developmental
services to funded projects.
The Fund will run concurrently with the OFV until 2012 to allow
projects already being funded to run their course.
Applications for grants under the new Fund will open in January
2010. The first round will be for local projects, followed by a
second round later in the year will support national schemes. Any
third sector organisation wishing to run volunteering projects in
the health or social care will be able to apply for funding.
The website address for Volunteering Fund is opening next week:
www.volunteeringfund.com.
Helpline number 0845 172 8058.
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk