Fund a Volunteer Programme and Create Real Impact
The Fund a Volunteer Programme enables East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) to place trained, supported volunteers directly into frontline services where they deliver meaningful, non-clinical support to patients, carers, and staff.
Volunteers play a critical role across community and inpatient settings, reducing loneliness, supporting engagement in therapeutic activity, improving patient experience, and relieving pressure on clinical teams. Each volunteer is carefully recruited, trained, supervised, and embedded within services to ensure safety, quality, and measurable impact.
However, volunteer capacity is not free. Behind every effective NHS volunteer is a professional infrastructure that includes recruitment, safeguarding, training, supervision, and ongoing support. Current financial constraints mean that demand for volunteers now significantly outstrips the Trust’s ability to fund and sustain these roles.
Why Corporate Sponsorship Matters
A sponsorship would directly fund a dedicated volunteer programme, enabling ELFT to:
• Recruit, onboard, and train volunteers for high-impact services
• Provide supervision, safeguarding, and quality assurance
• Sustain volunteer presence in areas of greatest need
• Expand access to non-clinical support that enhances care delivery
• Fund paid participation for service users with lived experience
This investment translates into thousands of volunteer hours, improved patient experience, and tangible pressure relief for overstretched NHS teams, delivering value far beyond the financial contribution.
Strategic Value for Corporate Partners
Funding a volunteer programme offers a clear, credible social return. Corporate partners benefit from:
• Direct alignment with NHS workforce support and wellbeing priorities
• Strong alignment with ESG, inclusion, and social value commitments
• Demonstrable impact through funded volunteer roles and hours delivered
• Opportunities for staff engagement, storytelling, and site-based involvement
• Inclusion in impact reporting and partnership recognition
This programme allows corporate partners to fund people, delivering visible, human impact at the heart of NHS services.
To explore this specific sponsorship opportunity, please email us to arrange a conversation.
Corporate Volunteer Inbox: elft.corporatevolunteering@nhs.net
Fund The Hope Garden. A Space for Healing, Recovery, and Connection
The Hope Garden is a flagship, community-based therapeutic programme delivered by East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) in Newham. The programme is rooted in inclusivity, co-production, and evidence-led wellbeing; empowering local residents with lived experience of mental ill-health to actively participate in their recovery beyond traditional clinical settings.
Through a unique blend of horticultural therapy, creative therapies, psychology-led support, and structured social connection, the Hope Garden provides a calm, green environment where service users develop practical skills, rebuild confidence, and reconnect with their community. Weekly sessions include horticulture, art and music therapy, facilitated psychology groups, and a Saturday drop-in that acts as a vital lifeline for individuals at risk of isolation.
Originally launched through grant funding, the Hope Garden has already demonstrated strong engagement and positive outcomes. However, due to current NHS financial pressures, the programme now faces a funding gap that directly impacts delivery quality and completion of the garden itself. Without external partnership support, the service risks reduced capacity at a time when community mental health need is rising.
Why Corporate Sponsorship Matters
A sponsorship would be transformational. It would:
• Fully equip therapeutic sessions with sustainable materials and resources
• Provide essential tools and PPE to safely complete and maintain the garden
• Enable completion of the Hope Garden, securing its long-term viability
• Protect access to non-clinical, preventative mental health support for vulnerable adults
This investment directly supports early intervention, social connection, and recovery-focused care, helping reduce isolation, improve wellbeing, and strengthen community resilience; outcomes that align strongly with ESG, social value, and wellbeing strategies.
Strategic Value for Corporate Partners
Sponsoring the Hope Garden is not a donation; it is a values-led partnership with tangible impact. Corporate partners benefit from:
• Clear social impact aligned to mental health, wellbeing, and community investment
• Association with a respected NHS Trust and a high-visibility local programme
• Opportunities for staff engagement through volunteering and impact days
• Inclusion in impact reporting and partnership recognition materials
This is an opportunity to fund visible, human impact at the intersection of health, community, and sustainability; delivering meaningful outcomes for service users while demonstrating corporate leadership where it matters most.
To explore this specific sponsorship opportunity, please email us to arrange a conversation.
Corporate Volunteer Inbox: elft.corporatevolunteering@nhs.net
Invest in people.
Empower lived experience.
Strengthen the NHS; for today and for the future.
