Groundbreaking scheme helps patients with mental health conditions

Gosia Buzzanca

Patients with mental health conditions are being helped on the road to recovery by a groundbreaking scheme that sees volunteers who have overcome similar challenges visit hospitals.

The project is run by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board with support from national healthcare volunteering charity Helpforce and focuses on recognising the unique empathy that those with lived experience of conditions can bring.

A group of 17 trained volunteers, each with different experiences of mental health, have collectively spent hundreds of hours engaging patients in conversation across multiple sites, sharing insights on coping with disorders and rebuilding lives.

They supported services across multiple hospital and community sites including County Hospital, Royal Gwent Hospital, Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan, Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr, Ysbyty’r Tri Chwm, Ty Llafant, Hafen Deg Hospital, and St Cadoc’s Hospital.

A Helpforce evaluation of the scheme, which launched in June 2024, found that 100% of patients surveyed agreed that the volunteers improved their emotional wellbeing and hospital experience, while 80% of healthcare staff reported a positive impact on care delivery.

Many of the volunteers have been inspired to ‘give back’ following their own treatment journeys. They include 55-year-old Julie Bignell from Blackwood who has been gifting her time for over a year.

“I faced significant mental health challenges due to historical abuse, leading to severe depression and anxiety. Ten years ago, I wouldn’t be able to leave the house, I was so withdrawn, crying all the time, wouldn’t talk to people, would’t answer the door or the phone, explained Julie.

“After I started feeling better – thanks in part to support from the charity Plattform – I wanted to volunteer to give back, and I couldn’t think a better role than the one I’m undertaking with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.

“My shifts involve meaningful engagement with patients, such as facilitating painting and colouring activities, and helping with decorative crafts.

“Seeing the faces on the patients, how they are happy and watching them gain confidence in talking – it makes all the difference.

“I feel like I make a difference to staff too, giving them another channel to talk and helping
them to understand what patients are going through as a result of my lived experience.”

Scores of patients have benefitted from the programme to date, representing a range of mental health conditions.

Hospital teams also reported significant personal benefits from the programme, with 86% of frontline staff feeling that volunteer support improved their working lives.

Tanya Strange, Head of the Nursing Patient Experience and Involvement Team at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said: “The impact of our lived experience volunteers has been felt across patients, staff, and the overall ward environment in powerful and meaningful ways.

Empathy beyond training

“Volunteers with lived experience bring empathy that goes beyond training. They offer a relatable human connection, which helps build trust and encourages patients to open-up.

“What was truly heart-warming was the unwavering commitment volunteers showed to supporting patients. In the evaluation that Helpforce carried out for us, they found that within just a six-month period, 17 volunteers completed 1,200 volunteer support hours with scores of patients. That’s a huge gift of time, and for that, we are so grateful to the volunteers.

“Along with running this initiative, we also work with Helpforce’s Volunteer to Career programme to provide more support to volunteers who are interested in healthcare employment to receive structured career support. It’s encouraging to see from the evaluation that volunteers on this pathway reported increased interest in health and care careers, improved understanding of the sector, and development of career-relevant skills.”

The ambition is for the project, which is aided by support from Wales Council for Voluntary Action,
to become fully embedded within the Health Board’s core services, including mental health provision, and seen as an essential part of how care and support are provided to patients, families and staff.

Maeve Hully, Director of Volunteering at Helpforce, said: “We are delighted to have worked with the health board to evaluate this wonderful and meaningful project. It’s a fantastic initiative that showcases the enormous potential of volunteering in making a difference to patients, staff and themselves, harnessing their unique experiences.”

Profound impact 

Kathryn Thomas, Senior Programme Manager at ABUHB, concluded: “The impact on the volunteers has been both profound and deeply meaningful. In many ways, their contribution is not only about what they do but about who they are: a living example of recovery, resilience, and the healing power of human connection.

“We are also thankful for all the support that we receive from our Health Board and partners, including GAVO, WCVA Cymru, Torfaen Voluntary Alliance, and Welsh Refugee Council, and special thanks to Helpforce for helping us to evaluate this important project and give us the evidence to sustain it.”