Volunteer Bucks Inclusive Partnership Project

Press release 14/07/2025

Bucks’ charity secures National Lottery funding to transform volunteering in Bucks

Community Impact Bucks in partnership with the Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy (BHSCA) is thrilled to announce the launch of a new £550,000 five-year initiative, to transform volunteering in Bucks, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.



The funding will help take Volunteer Bucks - the county’s free online platform that connects people with local volunteering opportunities - to the next level.

The ambition is big but simple - to make volunteering easier, more inclusive, and more rewarding for everyone in Bucks regardless of your background or experience.


To make that happen the project will:

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Make volunteering easier to find and do by expanding the Volunteer Bucks platform making it simpler for people to find the right role and easier for organisations to benefit from stronger volunteer matches. 

Reimagine volunteering working with local organisations to create more flexible and inclusive volunteer roles that are shaped around the lives of today’s volunteers.

Build better links across health, social care and the voluntary sector to enable volunteers to move easily between opportunities to help where they’re needed most, when they’re needed most.

Make volunteering more inclusive and accessible by working together with underrepresented communities to ensure everyone can enjoy the benefits of volunteering. 

Develop new opportunities for students and employer-supported volunteers to get involved, by working with the voluntary sector, schools, colleges, and businesses, so that more students and employees can volunteer around their lives.

Welcoming the funding, Kate Walker, Chief Executive Officer at Community Impact Bucks commented:

“We are incredibly proud to launch this exciting project to amplify volunteering in Buckinghamshire. The National Lottery funding will help us strengthen and diversify volunteering across Bucks—making it easier for more people to get involved and for organisations to access the support they need to thrive.”


“Our partnership with BHSCA will be key in creating smoother transitions for volunteers across sectors, while our focus on inclusion ensures no community is left behind,” she added.

Professor David Sines OBE PhD, Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy Chair, said:

“I am delighted the Academy’s Volunteer Faculty and Community Impact Bucks are strengthening their partnership and building on previous collaborative projects to deliver this new programme, supporting our aims to develop work readiness, experience and skills through volunteering and expand career opportunities across health and social care.”


To learn more about the Volunteer Bucks Inclusive Partnership Project, how to get involved, or to explore volunteering opportunities across Buckinghamshire, visit: https://www.volunteerbucks.org.uk/ 
 

Email us: volunteerbucks@communityimpactbucks.org.uk 
Follow us on social media: Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn 

ENDS 


For media enquiries, please contact Sian Sinclair, Communications Manager, Community Impact Bucks.
Email: sian@communityimpactbucks.org.uk  
Phone: 01844 617217 


Notes to editors 


About Community Impact Bucks (CIB) 
Community Impact Bucks is the local support and development organisation for the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in Buckinghamshire. CIB provides expert advice, training, and infrastructure support to charities, community groups, and volunteers. Its mission is to enable vibrant and resilient communities across Bucks by empowering local action. 

Website: www.communityimpactbucks.org.uk 


About Volunteer Bucks 
Volunteer Bucks is a free online platform developed by Community Impact Bucks that connects individuals with local volunteering opportunities across Buckinghamshire. It allows users to find roles based on interests, location, and availability while enabling organisations to promote and manage their volunteering opportunities efficiently. 

Visit: https://www.volunteerbucks.org.uk/ 


About The National Lottery Community Fund 
The National Lottery Community Fund distributes funding raised by National Lottery players to communities across the UK. It supports people and projects that make communities stronger, more connected, and more resilient. Over £600 million is awarded annually to projects that matter to people and communities. 

Website: www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk 


About the Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy (BHSCA) 
The BHSCA is a partnership-led initiative bringing together local health, care, and VCSE organisations to develop a skilled, sustainable, and collaborative workforce. The Academy plays a central role in workforce planning, training, and creating shared pathways across sectors. 

Website homepage: https://www.bhsca.co.uk/