CHARITIES across the county are facing a growing challenge to recruit enough volunteers.
That’s the verdict of Mark Jackson, chief executive of St Richard’s Hospice who described the situation as ‘not yet critical but we have concerns for the future’.
He was speaking at a public meeting where health chiefs had outlined their vision of health care for the next five years known as the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP).
In doing so it was plain they were expecting the voluntary sector to shoulder a greater share of the care burden, prompting Mr Jackson to tell them: “I do not know where all the staff are going to come from to help you with your community care plan.
“We have a challenge to recruit sufficient volunteers as it is.”
He was supported by Carole Cumino, chief executive of the Worcester Association of Carers, who warned that there was cost associated with training volunteers.
“A sustainable voluntary sector is an essential part of the plan but it is not a cheap option,” she said.
However she added part of the core STP message was ‘we all have to do more to help each other’.
Speaking afterwards Mr Jackson said St Richards relied on more than 1,000 volunteers and that other hospices, like the Primrose in Bromsgrove faced the same problem.
“Worcestershire is above the national average in terms of age profile and if you look at the traditional model of volunteer, they are all getting older.
“However the next ones are still having to go out and work because more families need two earners, more are supporting their own children and the state pension age is getting later.
“It means there is going to be only so many people who have the time and means to volunteer, and the fact is, we all need volunteers.”
He added that St Richards was trying to recruit more young people to engender the idea early on in their lives that volunteering was a good thing to do.
