This guide provides the results from an 18-month evaluation project of volunteering programmes in six NHS trusts using the Volunteer Impact Assessment Toolkit (VIAT).

In October 2006 eight pilot study trusts were selected to take part in the project. Over the next 18 months the Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR) worked closely with the pilot study organisations to undertake a service evaluation. Six of the pilot study organisations completed the service evaluations, and the subsequent reports for most of these and the questionnaires used can be found on the Volunteering England web site.

This report is designed to work alongside the tools on the website to inform others wishing to carry out a similar process. The report is structured to outline how IVR carried out the wider impact assessment project.