Improving volunteering accessibility for young people 

We’re seeking colleagues to help deliver workshops & inspire young people from under-represented groups to volunteer & consider careers in the NHS. Please email liam.bays@nhs.net for more information.

Volunteering for the young has never been more vital for a healthy society. However, many young people currently face barriers to volunteering that may seem insurmountable, especially individuals living with disabilities, ethnic minorities and those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

To address this issue, Moorfields Eye Charity is supporting a dynamic new project for young Londoners.

The project plans to extend the reach of the hospital’s current volunteering opportunities to those in underrepresented groups. 

There is a particular focus on 16–18-year-olds joining Friends of Moorfields, and 11-16 years olds joining the Young Persons Advisory Group (YPAG).

As part of this, technologically adept young people will support older patients to access some services which are only offered digitally.

To encourage young people from these backgrounds to join our groups, we will deliver workshops at secondary schools near the Moorfields sites across London and Bedford.

We will also reach out to young people directly in their schools to showcase the diversity of the NHS workforce and the variety of volunteering opportunities available to young people from any background.

This project will teach young people about the running of hospital services and clinical research, diverse staff roles, skills in digital volunteering and pathways to formal volunteering in local hospitals. 

Some young people who are already part of the YPAG will support this project by co-creating the workshops, and will also develop their interviewing, thematic analysis, and project management skills.

Those taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme will have access to flexible volunteering.

We hope that this project will provide young people with the skills they need to move onto more formal volunteering roles in the future, including at Moorfields.

It will also aid in spreading awareness of important information about the sector to young people, such as:

NHS patients will meet young volunteers from diverse backgrounds. Their work will improve patients’ access to the Moorfields education app, other online information material and clinical & research services. 

Paediatric patients will benefit from clinical services and research projects that better meet their needs.

Additionally, the NHS will attract new talent that is more representative of the local population. 

Our mission so far has yielded some impressive results, as evidenced by the stories of young individuals like Kerry.

The Volunteering Futures Fund team delivered an eye health workshop at Kerry’s school in central London. This is how Kerry found out about the volunteering opportunities at Moorfields. 

Once a week, Kerry volunteers at the information hub at Moorfields, helping to direct patients to further information about their condition.

Kerry’s volunteering experience at Moorfields has reinforced her desire to pursue a career as an optician or orthoptist. 

She is applying to university courses in eye health and has yet to decide which option to pursue.

Moorfields Eye Charity supports this project thanks to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and match funding by NHS Charities Together.