Extensive online and offline research, capturing public opinions surrounding health sector volunteering, set the foundations for a number of workshops. During these focused events volunteers shared their experiences, visually mapped their procedural journeys and identified current and future issues surrounding health sector volunteering.

This research successfully identified key factors associated with motivations for voluntary participation and the obstacles that prevent volunteering. Thinkpublic collated these findings and made future recommendations through a documentary film and report that were presented to The Department of Health and The Office of the Prime Minister.

As part of the Journeys to Health programme, Thinkpublic are currently rolling out "Pitch Your Project", a series of scheduled events hosted in NHS Foundation Trusts across the UK. In the format of a ‘Dragon's Den’, shortlisted social and community projects are given the opportunity to pitch for financial support. During the one-day events, each group receives face-to-face advice from a panel of media, design, enterprise, health and volunteering experts. Aiming to increase the number of health sector volunteers, the best projects pitched at each event are awarded £2000 to aid innovation, development and longevity.