• Facts and figures
• Measuring our impact
• Real life stories
• What we think
• Involving older people
• Reports and reviews
• Blog
• Campaigns

Measuring our impact

We continually evaluate the impact of our services on the older people we support through a programme of Social Impact Assessment research. Our outcomes are measurable, proven and significant.

The overwhelming primary emotional benefit we achieve is reducing isolation. Through local services delivered face to face, whether the output is a lift in a car, a pub lunch or a book from the library, the outcome is greater social contact and reduced isolation. We enable people to live independently at home for longer. The primary tangible benefit of our community services is to enable older people to see a friendly face and secondary is to carry on doing something they enjoy.

In 2008 we commissioned independent research consultants, Public Aspect to answer the following question “Has WRVS made your life better?” through talking to customers, volunteers, opinion formers and local commissioners. The result showed that WRVS is achieving its goal of helping older people get more out of life by providing practical support through the power of volunteering.

Read our Social Impact Report 2008.

Since then we have continually evaluated our services independently so we can continually learn from the findings and improve our services for older people.

In addition during 2011 we commissioned Frontier Economics to translate this impact assessment research into a Social Return on Investment Model.  Read the Social Return on Investment where the key finding was that local authorities, not just the health service stand to make significant savings from aspects of our work.

For more information, read our social impact research on home services, social clubs and WRVS Hubs.

Source: Statistics from Social impact Assessment Research, December 2009-10.