Volunteering

Welcome to the volunteering pages. There is lots of local activity in this area, and this is where you can find out about it! The Develop partners are committed to tackling issues in Bromley around social inclusion and volunteering. We have an interest in increasing the opportunities available to people with mental ill-health to contribute through voluntary activity, and also in promoting mental health awareness within the volunteering sector. We are also interested in welcoming and supporting local people who wish to volunteer within mental health services.

We should all be involved in promoting social inclusion because:

• Common mental health problems affect up to one in six of the general population at any one time. Almost everyone will know someone who has had mental health problems at some point in their lives.
• Nine out of ten people with mental health problems engaged in volunteering said it gave them a sense of purpose and achievement, and more than eight out of ten said it had a positive impact on their mental health.

What's in this for you?

In this section you will be able to find:

• Services that welcome or support voluntary contributions to their organisation, group or society by people with mental health issues.
• Events about volunteering.
• Evidence and policy Government and volunteering organisations policies and guidance on supported volunteering schemes for people with mental health problems and how to improve the organisation you work in to be more welcoming and supportive to people with mental ill-health.
• Guidance and tools that can be used to help people plan their volunteering activities and how to offer a supportive welcome to people with mental health problems.
• News stories about people's experiences of participating in voluntary activity in the borough.

If you would like more information about social inclusion and mental health, Develop  also provides:

• Discussion Forum: a place to ask questions, offer solutions, find support and obtain advice on developing volunteering for people with mental health problems and share ideas about what to do when mental health issues arise in your organisation. (Available to registered site users).
• Training about social inclusion and volunteering and mental health issues (from handling stress and promoting mental wellbeing and recovery through to awareness training about mental illness).

If you would like more information about volunteering and social inclusion, please contact Develop at: volunteeringNET@developbromley.com

View the national database of volunteering bridge-building projects