Volunteering Matters’ Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme (RSVP)
Volunteering Matters are the UK’s largest charity solely focussed on volunteering in its many forms –
with the power of volunteering we aim to make real, positive changes in communities throughout
the UK.
RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme) is a volunteer led programme for older people that
we founded in 1988. RSVP provides a volunteering structure for people aged 50 and over to use their
energy, enthusiasm and experience to improve the health and wellbeing of others, reduce social
isolation and alleviate disadvantage in their communities. Whilst the programme is volunteer led
and driven, it benefits from the wider Volunteering Matters infrastructure, providing toolkits,
insurance and guidance around volunteer management and activity.
Our RSVP work is locally based, responding to local needs and takes many different forms. Members
organise and take part in activities such as walking groups or knit and natter sessions, or in one-to-
one projects like listening to children reading in school, simple maintenance tasks in a client’s home
or driving someone to a GP appointment.
The driving force of RSVP are our Volunteer Organisers, who each manage a small team of local
volunteers and take responsibility for their recruitment, activities and compliance. The real beauty of
our RSVP programme is that the possibilities are almost endless, and where there is a concentration
of RSVP activity, we see real positive change in our communities.
One of our success stories is our RSVP West collective, who operate in Bristol and North Somerset.
Between them they manage GP appointment driving schemes, school reading and even provide the
volunteers for a local tourist attraction, The Matthew of Bristol, a replica of a 15 th century ship. Here
in Wales, we have a volunteer who visits schools taking a World War II ‘museum’ with him, for
primary school children to handle and try on uniforms and artifacts from the war; as well as more
traditional activities such as lunch clubs and craft sessions.
We recognise that for volunteering to work, it must be a two-way street and our members report
that they get as much back from being part of RSVP as they put in. Llandeilo Community Hub is a
wonderful example of local social action, and we would love to help harness the power of older
people’s volunteering using our RSVP model.
Rebekah Sharpe || Delivery Leader for Wales
07469 854057
Please note my usual working days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning
Rebekah.Sharpe@volunteeringmatters.org.uk
| volunteeringmatters.org.uk |
| @volunteering_uk |
Llandeilo Community Hub 