Newsroom Special - Can volunteering tackle mental health and loneliness issues?

    Newsroom Specials

    Tuesday, 19 February 2019 - 6 minutes

    The Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) is calling on the government to tackle growing loneliness and mental health issues across the UK by prescribing volunteering programmes.

    Whilst currently celebrating their 50th year, 96% of the RDA’s 18,000 volunteers across the country agree to experiencing improvements in their overall satisfaction with life, according to their new ‘Horses, Health and Happiness’ report, released earlier this month at a Parliamentary reception in Westminster.

    They believe government, at national and local level, as well as Clinical Commissioning Groups and local GPs, should recognise the dual benefits that their activities have on both the volunteer and the wider community more generally.

    Matt Cobble, from RDA, joined us on the line to tell us more.

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