The Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund (HSCVF) provides grants to voluntary sector organisations to:
• Collaborate: deliver a strategic project that plays an effective and integrated role in addressing health, public health and social care needs in conjunction with commissioners
• Innovate: test out a new area of work delivered by their volunteers
• Develop: support the Strategic Vision for Volunteering by investing resources in volunteer support and management systems
The HSCVF uniquely combines grant funding and support to voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs). HSCVF aims to improve VCSEs’ potential in the health, public health and social care landscape by increasing their capacity, improving their abilities and helping them to become more sustainable. Funding from HSCVF is time limited, the project must be able to demonstrate that there is continuation plan for the services to be developed and delivered after funding ceases.
The HSCVF’s focus on encouraging volunteers, and delivering vital services through volunteering, makes a major contribution to the Strategic Vision for Volunteering in Health and Social Care. Projects will need to demonstrate innovation in working within the health, public health and social care sector through the input of volunteers.
Projects funded will be expected to develop and improve the volunteering experience, develop new ways of working with volunteers, extend the diversity of their volunteers, and celebrate volunteers and volunteering.
The scheme is open to not for profit organisations with health and care aims. HSCVF seeks projects that are strategic and developmental, have something distinctive and different to offer over existing services, and have potential to develop new and/or streamlined systems in health, public health and social care volunteering.
Projects must demonstrate improved service provision and user experience through the involvement of volunteers in their proposals. Projects should provide an improved volunteer experience through better recruitment and support for volunteers, alongside increasing the diversity of volunteering opportunities at a local level.
For further information and to apply, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-social-care-volunteering-fund-2015-to-2016, or contact 0113 254 5450, or email: [email protected]
Deadline: Friday 22 May 2015, 12noon