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'You don't do it for nothing': women's experiences of volunteering in two community WELL WOMAN CLINICS.

Despite the fact that approximately 11.5 million women each year participate in formal voluntary activity, little is known about their experiences of volunteering in the National Health Service (NHS) and in particular, their experiences of working together with paid workers in direct client care. Arguably, this is because of the sensitive nature of voluntarism and concerns regarding the potential for exploitation. Much of women's voluntary activity is within the health and personal social services. Recently, volunteering in the NHS has been promoted as providing an added dimension to professional care. The study reported here seeks to bring to public attention women's experiences of volunteering and their relationships with paid workers within two community WELL WOMAN CLINICS. The findings are based on an 18-month period of participant observation which included in-depth interviews with 26 volunteer and paid workers and a review of the clinics' operational policy documents. Applying the concepts of balanced reciprocity and equity theory, the relationships between the volunteers and between the volunteers and paid workers are illuminated. Volunteers gain from their participation in the clinics as well as giving of their time and effort. However, in order for volunteers to view their volunteering positively and to sustain their interest there needs to be a balance between giving and taking. Within the context of the clinics, volunteering need not necessarily be exploitative and can be empowering for some women.