A range of special events are taking place across the UK to celebrate the involvement of younger volunteers (16 to 25 year olds) in health and to encourage more young people to get involved as part of Health Month 09.

Run by Time for Health, for the successive third year, activities include volunteer road shows at seven hospital sites across England and a national mental health conference in London, as well as free volunteer training sessions for all those wishing to develop their opportunities to engage younger volunteers in health.

At Time for Health’s national debate (Thursday 9th Oct), panel and audience agreed that the future NHS must have volunteers at its heart but there was extensive debate about how this would be possible.
The four members of the panel and the audience debated the challenges facing volunteering including how to integrate volunteers with paid NHS staff and how to ensure volunteering was inclusive and representative of communities.
Panel member Carolyn Heaney, from the Department of Health, said:

At Time for Health’s national debate (Thursday 9th Oct), panel and audience agreed that the future NHS must have volunteers at its heart but there was extensive debate about how this would be possible.

The four members of the panel and the audience debated the challenges facing volunteering including how to integrate volunteers with paid NHS staff and how to ensure volunteering was inclusive and representative of communities.

Panel member Carolyn Heaney, from the Department of Health, said: