Volunteering

Make even more of your membership by joining our community. Network and connect with your peers, develop personally and professionally and know you are supporting great doctors, providing great care – three incredible reasons to get involved.

Two women talking in conversation

From leadership to mentoring, see the different ways to get involved.

Our members say it best with their RCGP volunteering experiences.

Our members support us in nearly 300 different types of roles.

Key resources you need to support you in your role as one of our fantastic volunteers.

Ways to get involved

Our door is always open to new volunteers; if you want to get involved, get in touch with us today.

Do you like to lead the local GP agenda?

Our Faculties are at the heart of delivering local services as part of improving the quality of general practice in their local areas and supporting members wherever they are.

We have a number of Faculty Board positions opening throughout the year with excellent leadership opportunities and roles to get involved in exciting local and UK wide initiatives.

Are you excited about inspiring future GPs?

We are committed to inspiring tomorrow's GPs, not only to fulfil an ever-growing workforce need but to ensure that all pupils, students and foundation doctors understand and value the role and responsibilities of a GP. As a Discover GP Champion you can get involved in a range of exciting opportunities, from giving inspiring career talks in schools and universities to providing buddying support for those deciding about a career in general practice.

Do you enjoy connecting with and inspiring other GPs?

As an RCGP Mentor you'll make a real difference to the personal and professional lives of your peers by supporting GPs with one-to-one support, guidance, encouragement and inspiration during times of transition and personal and professional development needs so they reach their full potential as great doctors providing great care. Visit the RCGP mentoring hub for further info.

Would you like to help guide the future direction of our work and the GP profession?

Our leadership positions are an ideal opportunity to support the RCGP, make decisions and ensure members’ voices are represented in everything we do. Our members on Trustee committees support the strategic and efficient conduct of our business across various areas of our work and our members part of the College Council and associated committees help make decisions on strategic and clinical policy issues related to the GP and healthcare profession.

Clinical advisers network

Our groups are a community of health professionals with shared interest in advancing specific areas of medicine in general practice. Find out more about the clinical advisers network.

Are you passionate about improving primary care and family medicine globally?

Our vision is of a world where excellent person-centred care in family medicine is at the heart of healthcare. We have exciting project specific international opportunities that arise throughout the year and include GP Trainer positions, opportunities to influence the international agenda through the work of our College committees, groups and networks and bilateral or multilateral partnerships with various global health stakeholders such as VSO.

Do you want to use your voice to improve the future of general practice?

You can be involved in our campaigning locally and nationally by signing up to our supporter list. Every year thousands of our supporters, made up of GPs, patients and other health professionals across the UK share our campaigns, and advocate for general practice.

We listen to what our members feel needs to change and improve and represent those views to government, in Parliament and to bodies like the NHS and Public Health England. Our recent campaigns have secured an additional £4.5 billion in funding for general practice and kickstarted the recruitment of a thousand social prescribers in England. You can be a part of this too.

Special Interest Groups

RCGP Special Interest Groups are a community of health professionals with shared interest in advancing specific areas of medicine in general practice, learning or technology. Members meet collaborate and plan new projects and find solutions within their chosen field. Find out more about Special Interest Groups.

Inspiring future GPs

The RCGP have created a bank of resources to support GPs who are engaging with school pupils and medical students. This includes guidance on attending careers fairs, delivering workshops about the life of a GP and organising larger scale events.

Social Mobility Foundation

The Social Mobility Foundation delivers the Aspiring Professionals Programme (APP) to support young people to learn about and pursue professions for which they are academically capable but lack the means or networks to successfully attain. The APP includes a specific stream for aspiring medics.

One particular element of the programme is professional mentorship. See more information, including other opportunities to get involved in their work.

The SMF also partner with the RCGP on the widening participation work experience programme around the UK.

Sutton Trust

The Sutton Trust is a foundation which improves social mobility in the UK through evidence-based programmes, research and policy advocacy. From early years’ through school, college and university to the workplace, they work to combat educational inequality and prevent the subsequent waste of talent.

LCARM at RCGP

Find out more about opportunities and support for later career and retired members.

Volunteering testimonials

Don't just take our word for it - volunteering for RCGP is worthwhile, valuable and rewarding. Here's what some of our volunteers have to say about it.

The RCGP Myanmar Volunteers have been actively working with Myanmar since 2013 to improve the quality of Myanmar General Practice.
Myanmar volunteering testimonial

Professor Amanda Howe discusses making a contribution to general practice beyond retirement.
Contribution testimonial

Dr Julia Darko, former RCGP AiT Co-Chair discusses her experiences of volunteering for the RCGP.
Opportunities testimonials

Dr Rishi Caleyachetty, Chair of RCGP Junior International Committee, discusses family medicine in Spain and Portugal
Family medicine testimonial

Dr Simon Tobin discusses being a volunteer Ambassador for Health and Wellbeing at parkrun.
Parkrun testimonial

Celebrating our volunteers

We love to celebrate our amazing members and the work they do for us and with us each and every day, often giving their time and energy in tough and challenging circumstances.

We try to say 'thank you' in many ways throughout the year, but our two milestones for showing maximum appreciation are National Volunteers' Week which we celebrate each June and our annual Inspire Awards which are the perfect opportunity to bring members together to celebrate the year of volunteering in style.

Volunteers' Week

“We want to thank you” – a message with meaning to our advocates and volunteers

Every year, Volunteers' Week, 1-7 June, is a time to say thank you for the incredible contribution volunteers make.

Time to say thanks

At the RCGP, the professional membership body for general practitioners, our volunteers are a huge range of people making an incredible contribution to the profession and patient care. They are our GP members:

  • Shaping the future of general practice as school speakers.
  • Being a champion of the profession through our policy and campaigning work and local, regional and UK wide College leadership.
  • Promoting the professional development and education outcomes for GPs through mentoring and international GP training.

They are also our other incredible public supporters like patients and other members of GP teams, offering their time and skills to the College in groups that contribute to the work of our members. Our incredible staff also support us and others in our extended community through employee volunteering programmes and activities.

#RCGPTogether | Members looking after Members, non-Members and beyond


Volunteering resources

Key resources you need to support you in your role as one of our fantastic volunteers.

Your guide to RCGP membership volunteering

Resources for your role

Contact us

Interested? Reach out today and we’ll be in touch soon.

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