Volunteering makes you feel good!
The Volunteering for Wellbeing Project
Volunteering for Wellbeing is a Bridges Centre project working in partnership with Monmouthshire County Council (MCC).
The project aims to enable people to help others in the community by linking them with volunteering opportunities.
The contribution made by volunteers is now widely recognised and valued as an important element of local provision in Monmouthshire. The assistance of volunteers in helping people to stay independent, active and well can help avoid crisis and premature involvement with statutory support services. Volunteers themselves also report a positive wellbeing benefit as a result of their volunteering activities which they say makes them feel useful and appreciated.
With the support of our Coordinators, volunteers make a valuable contribution to a range of community-based activities and initiatives across the county, working with agencies such as the Museum Service, the Rotary Club, Town and Community Councils, local Housing Associations and voluntary sector organisations such as 'Contact the Elderly'.
Our funding
The project is funded through the Intermediate Care Fund, which is managed by Monmouthshire County Council and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. This fund supports the aims of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. For more information about the Act please visit socialcare.wales/hub/sswbact
Our governance
The project is governed by Bridges Centre and a multi-agency Steering Group. Quarterly progress reports are made to the Steering Group and Monmouthshire County Council. Evaluating the impact of our approach is an important part of our reporting and directs future work and partnerships.
The Bridges Centre has extensive expertise in volunteer recruitment and management and is working closely with MCC Health & Social Services to expand the role volunteering can play in supporting wellbeing – in particular, through Bridges' Community Connections, Building Bridges and Car Scheme initiatives, ensuring that appropriate preventative support is available to people at risk of becoming isolated or lonely.
For more information about the Volunteering for Wellbeing Project please contact:
Miranda Thomason (Project Manager)
miranda.thomason@bridgescentre.org.uk
01600 887568 /
07970 108637
Through developing the ways we support people to stay well, we have learned that the greatest success is achieved when people are provided with opportunities to participate and contribute. By utilising the expertise of Volunteering for Wellbeing – through their creation of, and ongoing support for, a range of volunteering opportunities, we have been able to work together to help people live lives they value, with purpose and meaning 
Nicki Needle – Changing Practice Changing Lives Lead, Monmouthshire Social Care and Health
Volunteering for Wellbeing bring expertise and action to the preventative volunteering agenda in Monmouthshire. The project makes a measurable impact by supporting people into volunteering opportunities that improve both individual and community wellbeing. We value their person-centred approach, specifically the way everyone is supported to understand we all have something to give. Volunteering for Wellbeing is making a contribution to encouraging active citizenship across the county.
Owen Wilce – Community Empowerment Lead, Monmouthshire County Council.
The role of a befriender can take pressure off other services such as Social Services. For example, in some cases people do not require a carer, but instead need a reliable, capable friend who can assist them.
Independent Living Assistant – Melin Homes
