Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations

Baroness Neuberger, the Government’s independent volunteering champion, consulted third sector organisations for their views on volunteering to encourage public services to make better use of volunteers, with an initial focus on health.

CEMVO has extensive experience of involving minority ethnic communities through volunteer recruitment. Our National Health Volunteering Project aims to foster and increase minority ethnic communities involvement in the NHS and local health and social care delivery through volunteering. CEMVO provides a response to the following questions:

1. What is the extent and the variety of the volunteering that already happens in the health service?
2. How can Government and the third sector make volunteering in health more attractive?
3. How do we promote volunteering in health to a wider audience?
4. What range of roles might be appropriate for volunteers in health and social care?
5. How can people from a wide range of backgrounds and ages be attracted to volunteering in health?
6. How can we reduce barriers to volunteer involvement?
7. How can we ensure that volunteers are used appropriately to support paid staff?
8. How do we spread good practice in volunteer management, including training?
9. What can be done to support the third sector to involve volunteers in public services?

Resources

• Cabinet Office Press release - Baroness Neuberger seeks views of sector on volunteering and health (opens in a new window)
• CEMVO's response to this consultation for Baroness Neuberger of the Cabinet Office: Office of the Third Sector (opens in a new window)