Urgent NHS appeal for Mid Sussex volunteers to support vulnerable people in the district

The call comes as the Volunteer Responders programme, which is delivered by Royal Voluntary Service and the GoodSAM app on behalf of the NHS and Department of Health and Social Care, expands to support more communities across the country.

Some 100 volunteers are needed to make sure people get access to essentials like food, prescriptions, and medical equipment as the programme recruits for Community Response and Pick Up and Deliver.

Sam Ward, Deputy CEO of Royal Voluntary Service said: “Today, the need for volunteers remains as vital as ever. We are urgently, asking those who can, to provide support to their communities and volunteer. Just giving a couple of hours, at a time that suits you, can make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of local people across Mid Sussex.”

To sign up visit nhscarevolunteerresponders.org.

Through Community Response, volunteers collect and deliver items to vulnerable people. Through Pick Up and Deliver, volunteers help transport medicines or small medical equipment items to people’s homes or community settings from NHS sites. This helps support hospital discharge and prevent admissions.

The flexible volunteering is all managed through the GoodSAM smartphone app. The two programmes were originally launched during the Covid pandemic to support shielding and isolated people. The roles aim to ease pressure on the health and social care system but volunteers do not replace the existing paid health and care staff or take on their responsibilities.