Skip Navigation
Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) Home
  • Volunteers
  • Organisations
  • Volunteering Opportunities
  • Stories
  • Health Volunteering
  • About us
Create accountLog in

Contact

  • Latham House, 33-34 Paradise St, Birmingham B1 2AJ, UK
  • [email protected]

Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC)

  • Volunteers
  • Organisations
  • Community Directory
  • Stories
  • About us

Join

  • Activities
  • Discover Organisations
  • Create organisation
  • Create account
  • Login
  • Help
  • Policies
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
Powered by Deedmob tools

Post | June 2026 | Volunteering for Health | 2 min read

Volunteering for Health: The Volunteers Making a Difference at Birmingham Community Healthcare

Written by

Helen Cobain
Volunteers celebration at Birmingham Community Healthcare Charity

On Thursday 4 June, volunteers and staff from Birmingham Community Healthcare Charity (BCHC) came together at Moseley Hall Hospital for a special celebration event as part of Volunteers’ Week 2026. This year’s celebrations were particularly significant, marking both the 40th anniversary of Volunteers’ Week and the 10th anniversary of Birmingham Community Healthcare Charity.

 

 The event recognised the dedication, achievements and impact of volunteers across the Trust, highlighting the vital role volunteers play in supporting patients, staff and local communities throughout Birmingham.

From supporting activities on hospital wards and helping maintain welcoming green spaces, to assisting at events, offering transport to appointments, or simply providing a friendly face and conversation, volunteers give their time, energy and compassion in countless ways. 

Desmond, volunteer for Birmingham Community Healthcare Charity

One volunteer who has dedicated his time to Birmingham Community Healthcare is Desmond (pictured), whose motivation for volunteering is deeply rooted in his Christian faith and desire to help others.

“My inspiration for volunteering is drawn strongly from my faith in Jesus Christ whose commands I attempt to live daily. In Matthew 25:36 Jesus encouraged us to show love and care for the sick, and in verse 40 He said that whatever we do for those in need, we do to Him. So, when I learned about BCHC Charity, I became interested to assist in any way I can, knowing full well that I'm serving Jesus Christ through them.”

Over his volunteering journey, Desmond has supported a range of activities and events, but one experience has stayed with him, in particular, through his work helping care for BCHC’s outdoor spaces.

“My favourite so far is the gardening. One particular day, I observed a service user watching us weed the garden and resetting flowers. The smile on her face was all the encouragement I needed. It made me really happy and proud to serve in that capacity.”

Like many volunteers, Desmond says the experience has shaped him personally as much as it has helped others.

“Volunteering generally makes me a better person with each experience. I began volunteering with the Society of St Vincent de Paul in 2012, and that was where my compassion for those in need was nurtured. While serving service users in BCHC, my empathy grew even further. Outside the charity space, I tend to ask myself what I can do to add to the good living of everyone around me.”

When asked to describe his volunteering experience in three words, Desmond chose: “Fulfilling, amazing, and beautiful.”

Through the Volunteering for Health Partnership, BCHC continues to develop a range of volunteering opportunities for people who want to support patients, staff and the wider community. Roles currently include Charity Hub Volunteers, Charity Volunteers, Green Spaces Volunteers, Ward Activity Volunteers, and Volunteer Drivers supporting patient transport.

Whether someone can spare a few hours occasionally or commit to something more regular, there are opportunities for people from all walks of life to get involved and make a difference.

Desmond has a simple message for anyone considering taking that first step into volunteering:

“It's worth it! It is a complete pack of physical and spiritual exercise. Reach out to BCHC via their website and get involved as soon as possible. Looking forward to meeting you!”

If you’re interested in volunteering with Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust visit their website: https://www.bhamcommunity.nhs.uk/charity-volunteering

Find other opportunities to volunteer with Birmingham health services on Volunteer Brum

Share Post
Related Posts
Volunteering in a hospital

Volunteering for Health – Supporting Birmingham’s Health System Together

| Volunteering for Health

Across Birmingham, the NHS and the city’s many charities are working hard to support patients, families and communities. Volunteers continue to play an important role in that picture - as a valued part of the wider health and wellbeing system. Our Volunteering for Health page brings together a wide range of opportunities that contribute to: Patient support within NHS settings Community health and wellbeing initiatives Tackling loneliness and social isolation Promoting healthier lifestyles Supporting recovery and independence For organisations delivering health-related activity - whether alongside the NHS or in the community - this page provides a shared space to showcase opportunities and help residents find the right route in. Health volunteering is often a first step for people looking to gain experience, build skills or explore careers in health and care. Making these roles visible and easy to access benefits the whole system. If you’re speaking to prospective volunteers, partners or stakeholders, please consider directing them to the Volunteering for Health section on Volunteer Brum. It’s a practical way we can collectively strengthen Birmingham’s health and wellbeing offer. Find health opportunities on Volunteer Brum
See more
Volunteering for Health young people project

Young people shaping how ethnicity data is explained at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s

| Volunteering for Health

On Thursday 4 December, 35 young people aged 14-18 from across Birmingham came together with frontline NHS staff to explore how Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust collects and explains ethnicity data. The group was recruited by career coaches as part of the Volunteering for Health Programme. Building on ideas first explored in an earlier session in August, the focus was on how these conversations can feel safer, clearer and more supportive for patients, families and staff. The young people shared practical, creative ideas for improving how information is communicated, while staff helped ground these suggestions in day-to-day practice so they can genuinely shape future approaches. Ethnicity data is essential for understanding and reducing health inequalities. Without it, we cannot see whether changes in care are reaching the communities that experience the greatest disparities in health outcomes. The young people have helped identify clearer, more human and more meaningful ways to explain this, making sure families understand how sharing this information directly supports better, fairer care. Across the project, the young people developed a range of creative and practical ideas. These included: using text messages via the existing patient portal app to explain why the data is requested and why it matters short videos to be shown in waiting rooms or shared ahead of appointments a poster campaign, and a schools-based programme where students take a resource pack into their schools and run assemblies on health inequalities and data. Some of the students will be road-testing this approach. The third and final session on 16 December focused on developing these ideas further, and we’re particularly excited to be bringing the Trust’s communications team into the final phase. They will help shape the electronic and film-based outputs so they are engaging, accessible and ready for real-world use. We were also delighted to be joined by our Chief Nurse, Daljeet, who visited the group, shared her support, and passed on her compliments, recognising both the importance of this work and the value of young people leading change in how we communicate with families. This project is a powerful example of how youth voice, lived experience and creativity can strengthen how we tackle health inequalities in practice. We are excited for the final session in February, led by the communications team. Find out more about the Volunteering for Health Birmingham and Solihull Programme https://www.bvsc.org/volunteering-for-health
See more
Children and young people from across the West Midlands have written and starred in a new video project to boost vaccination take-up.

We want immunity in our community!

| Volunteering for Health

Children and young people from across the West Midlands have written and starred in a new video project to boost vaccination take-up.
See more