Volunteer walk leaders in Scotland

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Volunteer walk leaders in Scotland

• Their economic value, mental and social health

Adelle Gardiner Research and Development Officer
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Volunteer Development Scotland

• Promote good practice
• Volunteer management courses
• Investing in Volunteers
• Positive environment for volunteers
• Policy advice
• Build knowledge and understanding
• Research and evaluation

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Commissioned Research

• The impact of volunteering
• on the
• social and mental health
• of
• volunteer walk leaders

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So what?

Non-economic value of volunteering
Mental Health Social Health
Volunteers
Economic value of volunteering
Physical Health
Walkers
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Research Aims Stage One

• Who are volunteer walk leaders?
• Project map
• survey
• What is mental health and social health?
• Evidence review
• Stakeholder workshop

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What do we know?

• 33 projects 550 volunteers
• 1 year 32, 623 hours
• Economic value of 479, 346

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Volunteer Walk Leaders Gender
Male
Female
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Volunteer Walk Leaders Age
16-24
25-34
35-44
65
45-54
55-64
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Volunteer Walk LeadersEconomic Activity
Full-time worker
Other
Student
Part-time worker
Unemployed
Retired
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Indicators for Mental Health

• Self esteem and confidence
• Resilience
• General physical health and energy
• Positive feelings (happiness)
• Opportunity for engagement
• Sense of purpose

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Indicators for Social Health

• Sense of community or social belonging
• Social interaction
• Social support and caring
• Community participation or volunteering

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Next Steps

• Participation
• New volunteer walk leaders
• Results
• Workshop
• Discuss findings
• Final reporting

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Supporting volunteering

• Investing in Volunteers
• Achieve good practice
• Public recognition
• Subsidy Scheme for Environmental Volunteering
  Organisations
• Environmental organisations

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Further information

• info_at_vds.org.uk
• Volunteer Development Scotland conference stand