Volunteers' Week 2025
National Volunteering Week is an opportunity for us to say thank you to all our volunteers for their hard work and support. Their dedication, compassion and support across the Trust has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on those who use our services, their families/carers and our staff.
Some of our volunteers have been with us now for a number of years and we really couldn’t offer the level of support that we do without them. The support that our volunteers give to our wards, our community services and beyond is contributing to both the experience of service users and to the resilience of our staff.
We would like to offer a special warm welcome and thanks to all who have commenced their volunteering journey with us over the last year. We hope that you are all now feeling settled, supported and valued in your roles.
So, here’s to a successful year ahead. Delivering excellent, collaborative, safe care is our main priority, and we really couldn’t do it without the support of our volunteers!
Find out more information on the Volunteering Agenda at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) here: Volunteering | Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT
Read more about volunteering activity across the Trust through the headings below.
- Volunteering at No. 93
- The Recovery Academy and the Volunteering Agenda
- Open Doors Volunteering Network
- Volunteering at the Chapman Barker Unit
Volunteering at No. 93
No. 93 Wellbeing Centre is based in Harpurhey, North Manchester. The community hub is open Monday to Friday and has a drop-in available between 10am to 3pm. The hub provides a range of free wellbeing related activities from creative classes, peer support groups, gardening, yoga, debt support and advice, cycling, exercise classes and social activities such as bingo, pool tournaments, board games and a music group. People are welcome to drop-in to most sessions, unless it is stated as different on the timetable. However they can call first to check on 0161 271 0908 or email harpurhey@gmmh.nhs.uk and refer to No. 93's webpage.
Since opening its doors in 2018, No. 93 has had a long-standing and dedicated volunteer workforce with a diverse group of volunteers in various roles. Lubna, a local resident and volunteer, has been running a very popular weekly art class for three years. Lubna was supported to set up as a constituted community group and has since received funding to purchase resources and run art sessions at No. 93 and other community venues.
Lubna, a local resident and volunteer
Carol has led the Hearing Voices peer support group for over ten years at No. 93 and she is really valued by regulars and staff. Wendy and Marie run a bereavement group, and Lauren runs Mindful Mum’s (a peer support group for Mum’s with children under five). The weekly pool tournaments, bingo and ceramic sessions are volunteer-led, and centre users really look forward to them. We also have volunteers who help to set up the community rooms and clear away refreshments. We have some amazing regulars who come to do the gardening most days with Tamzin, our Green Wellbeing Worker, and help to keep No. 93’s garden looking lovely!
A flower border at No. 93
Our volunteer workforce at No. 93 currently stands at ten and there are another nine people who volunteer for other organisations but are based at No. 93. We are also in the process of recruiting someone to deliver a photography/walking group and a chess teacher to support people using the drop-in. Many of the people that visit No. 93 are socially isolated and they really value the social connection they receive in the drop-in area and from the groups.
We spoke to Alice Munby, Community Development Manager based at No.93, about the impact volunteers can have on service user care. She said:
“We are lucky at No.93 to have a fantastic group of people who volunteer on a regular basis and enhance the wellbeing offer No.93 can provide to service users, carers and local people. Groups which are peer-led by people with lived experience are beneficial and we find that participants respond better to someone they can relate to. We have a small team of paid staff and having the support from local volunteers who are very knowledgeable and skilled at delivering activities is extremely useful!”
The Recovery Academy and the Volunteering Agenda
The Recovery Academy is honoured to be involved in celebrating National Volunteers’ Week by acknowledging the invaluable contribution our volunteers and peer mentors make to our services, and in co-producing and co-facilitating the wide range of Recovery Academy courses available to all.
The Recovery Academy first launched in 2013 and since then, has offered a wide range of learning opportunities for anyone looking to manage their own mental wellbeing or support someone else. The courses on offer are a fantastic platform to support the development of our volunteers.
At the heart of the Recovery Academy lies its core values of inclusivity, empowerment, and hope. These values are embedded within the Recovery Academy via the co-production approach, meaning that all resources are co-developed and co-delivered alongside people with lived experience.
We spoke to Sheila Wilson, Recovery Academy and Peer Support Lead, for further information. She said:
“I started as a volunteer in a small community-based, voluntary sector drug and alcohol service in Yorkshire in 1994 (makes me feel very old!) and this experience enabled me to gain paid employment, initially in the voluntary sector and then within training and clinical services in GMMH. This enabled me to progress my career to commence my new role as Trust Lead for the Recovery Academy and Peer Support, starting in December 2024.”
To support people to develop the necessary skills to become a peer mentor, the Recovery Academy offers a Level 2 accredited Peer Mentoring course. This course is facilitated by staff and people with lived experience and gives participants a solid foundation from which to build their volunteering and peer mentoring roles. Anyone with lived experience who has a volunteer or paid peer mentor role confirmed can apply for this, so please get in touch to find out more.
The co-production approach ensures resources are accessible, reliable, and informed from different perspectives, creating an effective learning environment for all. Lived experience tutors also provide a real sense of hope for students and can themselves benefit from increased confidence and self-esteem. The co-production approach also challenges traditional perceptions of support and recognises with equal weight, the value of everyone’s experiences.
Our resources include 59 face-to-face courses, focusing on areas such as improving understanding around mental health, learning new skills and supporting wellbeing through creativity. The Academy also offers over 380 digital resources, including e-learning packages, self-help worksheets and recovery themed podcasts and relaxation audio tracks.
The Recovery Academy is free to join and available to:
- Anyone who is experiencing mental health and/or addiction problems (you do not have to be under the care of NHS mental health services).
- Their supporters (family, friends and loved ones)
- GMMH staff members, volunteers, and students on placement
- Any healthcare professionals
We are keen for further volunteering opportunities to be available across the trust. If you think your service (community-based or inpatient) would benefit for having volunteer peer mentors but are not sure how to incorporate these valuable roles into your team, please contact us: recoveryacademy@gmmh.nhs.uk / 0161 938 5122.
Open Doors Volunteering Network
The Open Doors Service was established to ‘open doors’ for people affected by dementia and their families to support the delivery, development and innovation of services in Salford. The service has worked alongside those affected by dementia to design services to support, advise and engage people.
Through various groups, Open Doors offers a comforting space to meet, participate in meaningful activities and therapeutic interventions, share experiences and feel supported.
The service sits within the Reach Beyond offer and works across community and Inpatient services at Woodlands Hospital, based within the Salford Memory Assessment Team.
Volunteering has been a core principle of Open Doors since 2004, which currently has the support of a ten strong human volunteer workforce and three volunteer dogs.
We spoke to Cathy Riley, Manager of Reach Beyond, Open Doors and the Older Peoples’ Befriending Service, for more information on the projects that volunteers support with, including:
The Open Doors ‘Paws for Dementia’ Walking group
Our Open Doors ‘Paws for Dementia’ walking group supports both our community patient group and inpatient group from Woodlands Hospital. Our group meets fortnightly at Victoria park and enjoys the opportunity to walk alongside our volunteer dogs and together enjoy outside spaces.
Long standing volunteer, Linda, spoke about her 20 years volunteering for our service: “I've been a volunteer with Reach Beyond for just over 20 years. I am a regular volunteer with the Paws for Dementia dog walking group, which is every two weeks at Victoria Park in Swinton. I also volunteer at our fortnightly Dementia Café held at Elmwood Church in Salford and at our weekly Dementia book club at Eccles library. The Open Doors groups offer an important chance for social interaction. I thoroughly enjoy my various volunteer roles and find them all very rewarding."
Open Doors Dementia Service
Open Doors Dementia Service were recently delighted that volunteers John and Pat were nominated finalists for the Citizen of the Year awards 2025 in recognition for their amazing work supporting our service at GMMH.
Cathy with volunteers John and Pat
Open Doors Dementia Café
Conor has volunteered for the Open Doors Service Dementia Café for many years, starting his volunteering with us at just 18 years of age, Conor has been a stalwart volunteer for our service, helping to support other staff and volunteers who come to the group and always making sure that everyone who attends the group feels welcome.
Open Doors Book Club / Reminiscence Group
The Open Doors Book Club takes place weekly and is aimed at people living with or caring for a person with dementia. The group supports members in sharing in the continued enjoyment of a good book. Our volunteers Lorraine and Linda facilitate this amazing group.
Lorraine said: “I love being a volunteer and consider it a joyous positive impact upon my life. Helping others, I find is a welcoming health benefit.”
Lorraine at the Open Doors Book Club
Memories and Melodies Music Therapy session at Woodlands Hospital
Memories and Melodies Music sessions are based around the principles of music therapy and singing. The structured group sessions use music to encourage communication and participation for our patients at Woodlands Hospital.
These weekly sessions bring together our fantastic partnership of volunteer Gillian with our music therapist Clare who facilitate the music group and play together music that brings reminiscence and engagement through songs that are familiar to our patient group.
Clare - Music Therapist
Gillian has also undergone Peer Mentor training through GMMH and is looking at supporting other areas of volunteering on our wards.
Volunteering at the Chapman Barker Unit
The Chapman Barker Unit (CBU) has been a longstanding supporter of volunteering. We heard from Mary Abberton, Quality Matron, about the benefits of volunteering to those accessing the service.
“The CBU offers patients an opportunity to incorporate volunteering as part of their recovery once they are discharged from the service. Patients often tell staff that they want to return to give something back to the service and future patients as a volunteer, and many do!
“Volunteers provide insight into current service practices and ideas for improvement often through a lived experience point of view. They are an asset to any service and more areas should support volunteers to get involved!”
We spoke to a number of staff who wanted to use National Volunteering Week to thank those currently giving their time and experience to support others:
“I see our Peer Mentors and Volunteers as part of our team here on CBU. We all learn so much from each other. Using their lived experience, they are able to listen and guide our patients in a way that is unique to them.
“They are absolute rays of sunshine and also care for the staff as well as for our patients. My proudest moment was interviewing one of our Peer Mentors as a substantive staff member here at CBU…we wouldn’t be without them!” - Janella Anderson
“I’m grateful for our volunteers. They go above and beyond to help other people. They use their shared experience to empower people in one of the most challenging and vulnerable times in a person’s life. They are an invaluable support to the ward." - Cory Calvert-Murray
“The experts by experience at CBU are incredible, they give up their free time to support those going through a really physically and emotionally difficult process. There is never a job too big or too small for them and their warmth and knowledge makes a huge difference to the patients' experiences. For example, one of roles they have taken on is in supporting patients who come to us from acute hospitals with only the shirts on their backs, endeavouring to give them all of the clothing and personal care items they might want, in addition to the reassurance they need. They bring a smile to the faces of patients and staff alike with their kindness, hard work, and dedication." - Eleanor Newton-Hughes
“Volunteers show our patients that recovery is possible. They are able to demonstrate valuable lived experience and provide our patients with hope and possibilities for their own future. Volunteers on CBU provide support, kindness and understanding to patients whether that be by leading a pamper session, gaining service user feedback or just sharing their own experiences to enable our patients to see that they are not alone." - Kerrie Maguire
We also heard from a number of volunteers who had this to say about the impact that the support they provide has on themselves and others:
“As a previous patient I will always have an inner warmth and special affinity for CBU. It's a pleasure giving back as a volunteer and has formed a significant part of my life's structure and routine." - Paul
“...how can you repay somebody who has saved your life? That's what we do at CBU, my life has been saved many times with the help of CBU. So I volunteer to pay my debt back for saving my life." - Stephen
“I volunteer at CBU because of the reward I get from hopefully inspiring the patients to become the best versions of themselves." - Gaz
“Volunteering means giving someone else hope and some faith that a life of sobriety is possible and a belief in themselves that they can have the freedom from addiction like you." - Gaynor
