FOR Joanna Rapson, the service provided by volunteers is the icing on the cake.
Joanna is the volunteering and befriending service manager at Notts Healthcare Trust and believes in making the most of a wide range of people's talents.
People from all walks of life volunteer in the service, with roles from simply being there for a chat to helping give someone a makeover.
Joanna said: "The ethos behind volunteering is to enhance the work of the paid staff and improve the lives of service users.
"They're very important – without them the services would go on but they are the icing on the cake; it's twice as nice."
For Joanna, it is important to allow volunteers to improve the service with whatever skills they already have.
She said: "We're quite imaginative with our roles; we think quite creatively to use people's skills."
A beautician recently joined the service and is giving makeovers to people suffering with mental health issues.
And Joanna is clear about the difference volunteers make to the service.
She said: "It would take longer. There's no paperwork involved – all they get paid is travel expenses and a lunch if they work more than four hours.
"They can go on the wards and do the nice things. The service users and carers get something out of that."
In particular though, it is vulnerable people who really benefit from the service.
"It's having that person coming in and knowing they're not being paid to sit with them – it makes them feel special about themselves," Joanna said.
"It benefits both sides and the staff because they can get on with all their work. It brings new ideas."
The service covers a large geographical area, with over 100 sites and patients in a variety of settings – community, acute, low, medium and high security. Paid staff provide the core services for these clients but volunteers can make a real difference.
Nottinghamshire Healthcare provides a range of services, including mental health, learning disability and community health.
Over 8,800 staff work for the organisation, ranging from the community through to acute wards, as well as secure settings.