A Guide To Setting Up An Inclusive Volunteering Programme

This Guide provides guidance to organisations about setting up and managing a scheme to provide support to people who would like to volunteer, but cannot do so independently. For some volunteers, inclusive volunteering is on the pathway to employment; for others it is an end in itself, and leads to other benefits for them. Either way, organisations benefit from the skills and expertise of diverse volunteers. It is hoped that this Guide will inspire organisations to further their understanding of what needs to be put in place to support volunteers with additional needs and the benefits this can bring. This Guide is informed by a research project that aimed to evaluate inclusive volunteering at the Ripon Museums in North Yorkshire, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Three Schools Mental Health Research Programme. The project was a collaboration between the Mental Health Social Care Research Centre (MHSCRC) at the University of York and the Ripon Museum Trust (RMT), supported by funding from the Leo Lion Foundation. Although the project was conducted at the museums, this Guide is designed to be used across different types of voluntary organisations.