In 2023, we provided Barts Health with £50,000 to launch their Youth Volunteer Programme. This funding supported the first cohort of young volunteers aged 16 to 24. This six-week programme, tailored to the needs of young people, offers hands-on experience in hospital settings – building confidence, skills, and brighter futures.
Nancy, Group Head of Volunteering, saw a surge in applications from young people and recognised a unique opportunity. “We wanted to make sure that we valued our younger people,” she explains. “They can get such a bad rap these days and there are so few opportunities to gain experience.”
Providing tailored and meaningful support
Thanks to the funding, Nancy and her team created a structured programme that includes:
- A dedicated Youth Coordinator
- A volunteer booklet to support engagement
- CV and interview guidance
- Workbooks to track hours and learning
Volunteers handing out chocolates to staff at Christmas time
Real impact across Barts Health hospitals
The impact has been remarkable. Feedback from volunteers has been overwhelmingly positive, with 100% finding the programme helpful and 90% feeling supported. One volunteer said: “I was given an opportunity when lots didn’t want to offer me anything, and it has shaped the path I want to go into.”
Since its launch, 179 young people have taken part, contributing meaningfully across Barts Health hospitals:
At The Royal London Hospital volunteers have:
- befriended over 3,000 patients
- delivered over 12,000 sets of medication
- and helped with 200 mealtimes across different wards.
At Newham Hospital volunteers have done:
- meet and greets for 9,600 patients
- and 1,438 follow up calls for patients who didn’t attend appointments.
At Whipps Cross Hospital volunteers have:
- delivered medication on 768 occasions
- and helped with 76 mealtimes across different wards.
Volunteers painting a patient's nails
Volunteers also support pamper trolleys for elderly patients, offering hand massages and nail painting – small gestures that patients love. One patient shared: “Seeing the young faces reminds us of our grandchildren and speaking to them about their aspirations really instils a confidence in us.”
Nancy is now planning to expand the programme across all Barts Health sites and deepen partnerships with local schools and community organisations.
“We’re so grateful that Barts Charity funds programmes like this,” she says. “Our hospitals are institutions that support the whole community and Barts Charity really understands the importance of this.”Nancy Whiskin