Royal Voluntary Service welcomes Daily Express as ‘Step Forward’ partner

Earlier this year, in partnership with Legal & General, we launched our Step Forward campaign, developed to galvanise the British public to volunteer to support their local community.

Today, we are delighted to announce that the Daily Express has come on board as a media partner to lend their support to Step Forward. Over the coming months, they will be going behind the scenes and visiting our services across the country, and they will also be encouraging readers to make donations to support the activities we offer across Great Britain.

Step Forward was launched following research from the charity that found volunteering boosts has a positive impact on mental health. Among first time volunteers, many said they experienced improved wellbeing after volunteering, with 34% of this group feeling less stressed, 42% saying it had a positive effect on physical health and 65% on their happiness levels. At the same time, almost four in ten (37%) first-timers said their volunteering had made them less lonely.

We believe everyone has a talent to offer – whether it’s charisma, culinary craft or a winning smile – and you can use these talents to volunteer and change the life of someone who lives near you. Today, we have nearly 20,000 volunteers supporting their local hospitals and communities, and we want even more people to join our army of volunteers meeting the needs of the day across Great Britain.

Felicity Kendal CBE, Royal Voluntary Service Ambassador, has met with social club volunteers and hospital volunteers, seeing the positive impact they have on the people they support.

"Royal Voluntary Service cannot do the wonderful work it does without people gifting their time and donations. And we need more! We never know when we are going to become the one in need."

Felicity Kendal CBE, Royal Voluntary Service Ambassador

We’d like to thank the Daily Express for their support; we’re very excited to hear from their readers who are inspired to join us.

For further information