Impact and Evaluation
We help healthcare organisations measure and demonstrate programme impact through research, evaluation, and evidence generation - turning data into actionable insights that improve outcomes and support confident, informed decision-making.
Understanding the difference that volunteers make
It's not enough to know how many volunteers healthcare organisations have or how many hours they contribute.
The real question is: what difference are they making?
Using our robust methodologies, our expert teams help organisations to:
Understand the volunteering landscape
Building a clearer picture of how volunteering is working across organisations.
Measure impact
Identifying and evidencing the difference volunteers make for patients, service users, staff and communities.
Listen to volunteers
Capturing meaningful feedback and understanding what helps volunteers thrive.
Identify opportunities
Using evidence to pinpoint where volunteering can add more value.
Build the case for investment
Creating compelling evidence to support volunteering strategy development and secure organisational buy-in.
Turn insight into action
Translating findings into practical recommendations that help organisations improve and develop programmes.
We provide essential evidence that helps decision makers better understand the difference volunteering makes.
Our extensive evaluations involving over 100 healthcare partners give us powerful insight into the impact of volunteering
79%
of people agree volunteer support reduced their anxiety.
(n = 1,400, 16 organisations)
91%
of volunteers report that volunteering gives them a sense of purpose.
(n=779, 28 organisations)
86%
of staff agree volunteers improve the quality of service they can provide.
(n=729, 43 organisations)
Our work in action
Demonstrating potential
Through our comprehensive evaluation, we helped Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust demonstrate the impact of its Well Together model. The evaluation showed that 90% of service users felt confident managing their physical health, up from 36% before using the service.
This proof point, among others, helped the team build the case to expand the model and increase referrals, ensuring that more potential beneficiaries could access the service.
Supporting continuous improvement
Through our evaluation of the Response Volunteer programme at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, we provided insights to help the service continue to thrive and improve its impact. Over 25 months, 93 active volunteers delivered 4,874 hours of productivity gains, supporting almost 37,000 patients.
The evaluation provided valuable evidence of the contribution volunteers are making and helped the team identify opportunities for continued improvement.
Securing funding
We helped the team at Holme Farm Surrey - a community hub providing a therapeutic environment where people can socialise, learn and thrive - to demonstrate the impact of its work. Our evaluation found that 9 in 10 volunteers felt more connected to nature and their community, and 4 in 5 volunteers each agreed or strongly agreed that they feel less lonely / isolated since attending the hub - providing a strong indication of the resource’s contribution to social connection and wellbeing.
These outcomes were incorporated into the organisation’s funding proposal, helping them secure the finances needed to continue providing this invaluable service to people across Surrey.
A huge thank you to Helpforce, we love working with you. The support you have given to our volunteering services over the last few years has been invaluable in terms of making the service fit for the future, relevant and us being able to evidence that.
Our approach
We have developed a straightforward, tried and tested process: Define, Design, Collect and Evaluate. We fully support partners through the process, ensuring they feel invested in every stage of the approach:
1
Define
We help define the key objectives and beneficiaries of the volunteering service and identify the main audiences for the evaluation.
2
Design
Using our in-house tools, during the design stage, Helpforce works alongside partners to decide what will be measured and how.
3
Collect
Using the data collection tools created specifically for the project, we support the collection of data from beneficiaries.
4
Evaluate
We diligently complete the analysis, providing a results dashboard and comprehensive findings report.
Case study
Shifting care in Cornwall
The need
Cornwall's ground-breaking Community Gateway and Hub Network (CGHN) - featuring over 50 community hubs - is playing a vital role in easing pressure on strained NHS services by keeping people well, connected, and supported in their local neighbourhoods. This model is a collaborative project involving Helpforce, the NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board, Volunteer Cornwall, Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum and local voluntary organisations. Together, partners have developed a model that helps people access practical, social and wellbeing support closer to home. The Community Gateway helpline is open 8am to 8pm, 365 days a year, while community hubs provide trusted local spaces where people can connect, get advice, take part in activities and access wider support before needs escalate.
The CGHN's impact was felt through the health and care system, but strong evidence was needed to highlight how the model should be scaled across the country as an example of Neighbourhood Health good practice, supporting the goals of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan.
How Helpforce helped
Helpforce undertook an extensive, first-of-its-kind research study, examining how the CGHN operates, the outcomes it delivers, and its potential to inform wider healthcare transformation.
Working with partners across Cornwall's health, local authority and voluntary sectors, the charity's research combined policy analysis, stakeholder interviews and service-user insights to build a comprehensive picture of current impact and future opportunities.
Results
Helpforce was able to demonstrate avoided NHS costs of more than £11.6 million over a one-year period and suggest that if similar models were adopted across the UK, total savings for the health service could top £500m.
Moreover, we were able to quantify powerful human impact. Among people accessing hub services, 88% reported feeling less lonely, 93% experienced improved mood, and 78% said the support they received was tailored to their needs.
As a result of our findings, senior health leaders and policymakers are looking closely at Cornwall's model – assessing scope for it to be adapted and adopted within other systems. We are also proud that the model has been shortlisted for the HSJ Awards 2026, in two categories:
- Excellence in Narrowing the Health Inequalities Gap
- Neighbourhood and Community Care Innovation of the Year
Watch the Hub in action here
Collaborating with us
We work on projects funded by ICSs, NHS trusts and other healthcare organisations to evaluate the impact of their volunteering services and programmes.
Thanks to charitable trusts and other generous funders, we can sometimes provide support to help organisations at no direct cost to them.
Contact us find out how we can work with you.
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