The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives has published the results of its first ever national volunteering survey of the ambulance service.
THE SURVEY
The survey results revealed that 34.44% of volunteers indicate that volunteering has ‘greatly increased’ their skills and 45.59% felt their personal development (confidence) had increased.
The volunteering survey, completed by 2500 volunteers across the country, provides national insight into the volunteering experience in the ambulance sector. The results share information about who volunteers for the ambulance service and focuses on the volunteer experience.
In addition to questions about demographics and types of voluntary roles, the survey explored the volunteers’ experience of onboarding and training, ongoing support, personal development, and wellbeing.
As evidenced by the survey results, volunteering is not just about helping others – it also improves volunteers’ wellbeing too. It can help people learn new skills, boost confidence, develop a sense of achievement and lead to career opportunities.
THE FEEDBACK
Listening to volunteers’ feedback through surveys can be an incredibly powerful tool. By understanding and interpreting the data, we can make informed decisions that directly influence our wider planning, policies, and strategies for volunteering.
Alongside the data, it is imperative we continue to shine a spotlight on the stories that highlight the positive impact on individuals, volunteers, and the broader community.
You can read the full survey results now.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Want to volunteer? Search for opportunities by visiting Volunteering Wales
- Need more information about volunteering? We’ve got you covered, here’s more guidance
- Do you work with volunteers, or would you like to? We’ve a range of resources as well as support, advice, and information to help you
- Do you work with volunteers in health and social care? Here’s more about our Volunteer to Career (VtC) programme, led by Helpforce Cymru. If you’d like to discuss VtC and find out how you could pilot and implement this, please contact Fiona Liddell on fliddell@wcva.cymru.
For more information on health and social care in Wales, visit our visit WCVA’s Health and Care Project page.