Economic Impact of Volunteering About VSNW Work nationally

Economic Impact of Volunteering

About VSNW • Work nationally via Regional Voices partnership • Do. H/NHS England VCSE Strategic Partner • Work closely with Public Health England • committed to implementing the recommendations of ‘Due North: report of the inquiry into health equity in the North’ • Supporting greater VCSE involvement in ‘Well North’ initiative • Looking to drive VCSE role in increasing community participation in health and wellbeing • Supporting sector involvement in devolution agenda in NW: • • • Helping set up Greater Manchester VCSE Reference Group Working with new VCFSE partnership in Liverpool City Region, VS 6 Beginning discussions in Cheshire and Warrington Supporting Cumbria Third Sector Network and Cumbria CVS Helping VCSE leaders develop their vision for the future of their communities Championing a balanced economic strategic via the North West Leaders Board

Volunteering: Some facts and figures • Economic value of volunteering nationally according to 2013 figures from the ONS is £ 23. 9 bn • DWP and Cabinet Office estimated wellbeing value to frequent formal volunteers is £ 70 bn • British Household Survey estimates value of formal volunteering at £ 13, 500 person year

North West • 36% of people in the NW undertake formal volunteering at least once a year – 2013 figures • 30, 000 plus Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise groups in the North West

Sub-Regions of the North West • Greater Manchester - 330, 000 people carried out voluntary work, valued at £ 947 million • Liverpool City Region economy estimate of 181, 000 volunteering contributing £ 551 m worth of activity per annum • Cumbria - 5, 000 plus groups working with 50, 000 plus volunteers • Cheshire and Warrington - 2010 • every week, over 95, 000 people volunteer with VCS groups in; • volunteers contribute over 145, 000 hours of their time, which is equivalent to over 3, 800 full time jobs;

Cheshire East Hidden Power • On average 53, 004 people volunteer in Cheshire East • Each week volunteers contribute 74, 522 hours of their time • 21% of the population volunteer • Volunteering is worth £ 25 million to the local economy • Local VCFS employs 2. 5% of the workforce • The total income in 2014 -2015 was expected to be just over £ 200 million • 64% of the sector has an income of less that £ 100, 000 with just under a quarter (24%) having an income of less than £ 10, 000

Why put an Economic Value? • Volunteers are not a free resource • Not a ‘work substitute’ • Social value of volunteering has an economic impact

Volunteering Opportunities for All • Employer-supported volunteering increasing nationally • Irregular, annual engagement • Low rates of monthly employee volunteering (less than 3% of all employee volunteering national) • Manifesto commitment to 3 days per employee per year on the way, starting with public sector • Young People • Short term activities – social action • Some connection to future economic activity • Carers • the total annual contribution is the equivalent of £ 19, 336 for every carer, or £ 2, 033 for each person in the UK.

How do we develop the business case for volunteering? • New Economy have developed a cost benefit analysis toolkit and set of formulas – agreed with HM Treasury and linked to public service reform and devolution business cases/propositions • Use key initiatives in order to develop templates for future sector activity: • Well North • Health Devolution • Vanguards and New Models of Care

Being clear on what volunteering can’t do There are limits to what volunteering and social action can achieve • Not a work substitute • Time limited • Burn out • Cannot replace the need for paid services • Complementary role

The Volunteering on Prescription Pilot • Focus: helping people with low level mental health conditions to volunteer as a way of improve their health and well-being. • Referral Process: GPs, other health or social care professionals – pilot in one area of Blackburn: Blackburn North • Use Volunteers as Community Navigators to help the service user to access volunteer opportunities or positive activities within their local neighbourhood. Use community assets – ABCD approach – skill up local people and use existing volunteer led groups. • Use Try It – bitesize volunteering tasters to ensure the service users finds a volunteering role that suites them and also gives the community group comfort: chance for both parties to test that it will work for them. • Monitoring Process: use of case studies and looking to use 5 ways to well-being to monitor progress over time.

“I really didn’t think anyone would take me seriously as a volunteer because of my mental health problems. I really wanted to help others who had experienced the same…thanks to Volunteering on prescription I am now booked in for training with a view to helping others. I feel better about me”

Voluntary Sector North West St. Thomas Centre, Ardwick Green North, Manchester, M 12 6 FZ Tel: 0161 276 9300 www. vsnw. org. uk