Volunteer Centre Greenwich (VCG), one of our London Volunteer Centre Network members, has released a new guide showcasing how they made volunteering more inclusive and accessible for people with lived experience of poor mental health.
This guide was created in collaboration with individuals who have first-hand experience of mental health challenges. Together, they explored what inclusion looks like in practice and how to reduce barriers to volunteering. The result was series of small but meaningful changes that led to a huge 70% increase in volunteers starting with VCG.
The changes they made were thoughtful, targeted tweaks that came directly from listening to the community. They started coffee mornings to build trust, created a short volunteer video to build connection, and a volunteers webpage with information people want to know before applying —all simple steps, but together they made a big difference.
Their new guide offers clear evidence and practical guidance as a starting point for grassroots groups and charities thinking about how to increase volunteer participation, especially from underrepresented groups. It highlights the importance of user-led design and ongoing dialogue with those who often face the highest barriers.
