The NHS and Care Volunteer Responders urgently appeal to the compassionate individuals in the North West of England to step forward and volunteer to aid vulnerable members of the local community by ensuring access to essential items such as groceries, prescriptions, and medical equipment.

The Volunteer Responders programme, operated by Royal Voluntary Service and the GoodSAM app on behalf of the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care, is now expanding its reach to support even more communities across England, including Greater Manchester and Lancashire region.

We are seeking 100 dedicated volunteers to support the newly relaunched volunteer activities, namely Community Response and Pick Up and Deliver.

Through the Community Response initiative, volunteers will collect and deliver food, prescriptions, and essential supplies to vulnerable individuals, thereby promoting their health and well-being.

Through Pick Up and Deliver, volunteers will assist in transporting medicines or small medical equipment to people’s homes or community settings from NHS sites, thereby supporting hospital discharge and preventing admissions.

Volunteering with us is completely flexible and can be managed through the GoodSAM smartphone app, allowing volunteers to make a positive impact on the health and well-being of people in their area at times and locations that suit their schedules.

Community Response and Pick Up and Deliver were initially launched during the pandemic to support shielding and isolated individuals, and many heroic volunteers emerged to offer support to those most vulnerable.

Sam Ward, Deputy CEO of Royal Voluntary Service, emphasized the ongoing need for volunteers, stating, “Just giving a couple of hours, at a time that suits you, can make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of local people across Greater Manchester and Lancashire.”

Volunteers play a crucial role in ensuring access to fresh groceries, essential items, prescriptions, and medical equipment for those facing health challenges, limited mobility, hospital waits, recent hospital discharge, and those who struggle to shop unaided. By providing this additional support, volunteers help ease pressure on the health and social care system and complement the existing workforce without replacing the valued paid health and care staff.

Recruitment for Community Response and Pick Up and Deliver is now open, and the activities are scheduled to begin in the coming weeks.

If you are ready to make a real difference and contribute to your community’s well-being, please visit the website nhscarevolunteerresponders.org for more details on the activities and how to sign up.

About Royal Voluntary Service: Royal Voluntary Service is one of Britain’s largest volunteering charities, supporting the NHS, adult social care, and thousands of vulnerable individuals in the community. They provide vital, responsive services to enhance public health, social care, and well-being in local communities. Originally founded as the Women’s Voluntary Service in 1938, the charity has a long history of assisting civilians during the Second World War. Today, their NHS volunteers offer patient companionship and transport, on-ward exercise sessions, and support for vulnerable patients following hospital stays. In addition to their work in hospitals, they run physical activity classes, dining clubs, and social groups in local communities to promote better health, social interaction, and connection.

For more information about Royal Voluntary Service, please visit https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/