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Mind comments on the Government's new strategy for volunteers
Commenting on the Government's consultation launched today about the future of volunteering in health and social care, Mind's Chief Executive Paul Farmer said:
"The contribution that volunteers make in supporting health and social care services cannot be underestimated. It is appropriate that during National Volunteers Week that the Government has acknowledged the vital role volunteers play and has committed itself to enhancing the support they receive."
"It's thanks to the dedication and hard work of volunteers that many innovative and life-changing services are able to exist. Over the past two decades, Mind, through the Opportunities for Volunteering scheme, has established nearly 300 community mental health and social care projects that depend upon volunteers, many of whom are mental health services users themselves."
"The act of volunteering helps many people with mental health problems in the process of their recovery. It gives people a sense of wellbeing, gets people engaged with their community and makes them feel they can make a real difference to their lives and the lives of others. Mind calls for research into the cost benefit of volunteer schemes such as Opportunities for Volunteering which can lead to a reduction in the use of mental health services and can often be a stepping stone back into employment."
"Volunteers working in the third sector have a crucial role to play. It is through the sterling work of these individuals that we can be sure that the NHS will be fit for the next 60 years."
Notes to editors
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