Capital Volunteering Legacy Fund

Capital Volunteering was a four-year year partnership between CSV, the London Development Centre and Local Authorities, NHS Trusts and community organisations across the capital.

The programme tackled issues of mental health and social inclusion through volunteering. We helped over 5,000 people with severe and enduring mental health issues to become volunteers.

For many, this meant making new friends, learning new skills and improving their confidence; volunteering was a chance to feel part of the wider community once again. For those further down the road to recovery, Capital Volunteering was a chance to give something back, mentoring others who were going through the same experiences and finding out more about themselves in the process.

The project ended in 2008, but lives on through the Capital Volunteering Legacy Fund. Grants of up to £3,000 are available to volunteering projects in London that increase social inclusion for people with severe and enduring mental health issues.

To apply, please read the Legacy Fund Criteria and Guidelines then click here to download an application form. 

To find out more about the project and the volunteers who took part, download the independent evaluation report by the Institute of Psychiatry. For more on supported volunteering for mental health service users, see our report, Mental Health, Volunteering and Social Inclusion, part of the ‘CSV Reports On’ Series.

More resources are available via the Resources section of the site – search for Supported Volunteering.