Service users or volunteers: older residents as hybrid participants in UK villages projects

Purpose This study aimed to test the capacity for voluntary groups of older people in two low-income UK neighbourhoods to co-produce age-friendly “Villages” projects to meet their needs related to healthy ageing. The study explored older residents’ participation as informal volunteers. Design/methodology/approach An ethnographic approach included participant observation of residents establishing and running projects, interviews with key informants and focus groups with older residents. Findings Older residents’ fluctuating capacities and ambivalence about Villages’ projects resulted in a hybrid participant-service user role that was mediated by social infrastructure and the characteristics of projects. Research limitations/implications The study was limited in its focus on two neighbourhoods to test the Village model. It provides insights about specific needs to support differing levels of participation to make resident-led healthy ageing initiatives more inclusive. Practical implications The hybrid role entailed a larger proportion of service users and lower levels of voluntary contribution to Villages projects. They were more dependent on fewer individuals leading volunteering, introducing additional precarity. Older residents need support to contribute to projects through fostering collective relational agency. Social implications Social infrastructure is critical in providing opportunities for informal relationship building enables residents to identify common interests and build capacities to work with and align their interests with others. Originality/value A more nuanced picture of older resident-led projects recognises a spectrum of participation, from more passive to more active volunteering contributions. This study contributes to theory by identifying a hybrid role among older residents, moving away from a binary conceptualisation of the roles of volunteer and service user.