1. Measuring the economic impact of befriending
St Vincent de Paul Society

2. St Vincent de Paul Society

3. Why do the ANALYSIS? + =
= £ ?

4. Process
Approach to Pro Bono
Link to Oxera
Defining the area of study

5. People visited by svp members
Other 4.1%
People with mental health issues 2%
Refugees 1.2%
Homeless individuals 3.2%
Families 7%
Offenders 1%
Hospital patients' homes 11%
Elderly people 71%

6. Impacts and Economic effects
Improved mental health
Better navigation of ‘the system’
Enhanced skills training
Enhanced educational opportunities
Direct provision of basic necessities
Reduction of cost to the NHS
Improvement of quality of life
Improved labour market outcomes
Reduced cost of social services to the government

7. Measuring the economic effects
Measuring quality of life:
Alleviation is worth £5.48/day x 38 days = £208.20/yr
Number of people visited who are older with depression = 10,872
Value of improved quality of life = £2,263,550
Measuring reduction of cost to NHS:
Annual cost to the NHS = £42.50
Reduction in NHS costs: £462,000

8. Value to the volunteer Regular volunteering is worth £2,357/yr
Total value per year to our volunteers = £14,885,000
“I know that whatever I bring to these people, my life has been enriched beyond compare by the many gifts they give me.” Annette, SVP member.

9. Benefits and costs of the SVP’s visiting and befriending activity (£’000)
Costs
Reduced healthcare costs
462
Monetary cost of volunteering
828
Improved quality of life
2,265
Opportunity cost of volunteering
5,082
Increased wellbeing in volunteers
14,885
Administrative costs of running the SVP
234
Total benefits
17,612
Total costs
6,144
Net benefits
11,467
Benefit–cost ratio
2.9
Net benefits (excl. volunteering)1
1,665
2.6

10. outcome Appreciation for the work of economists
Press releases and media coverage
Funding applications
Head scratching…

11. questions
‘It is clear that there is value associated with each hour of volunteering, but it is not clear what this value actually is’ (Oxera)
‘Quantification of the total economic effect is difficult due to the lack of robust evidence on the unit effects of the types of activities the SVP carries out’ (Oxera)

12. conclusion