Volunteers at the Hospice are a valued and essential part of the team and their contribution enhances and supplements the work of clinical, administrative, retail and fundraising staff. Our volunteers play an important part in maintaining the high standards that are synonymous with the Hospice and they are vital to the holistic care given to patients. Volunteering is also a great way to meet new people, gain experience and more importantly, to help our patients make the most of each day.
How are volunteers involved?
Volunteers are one of the Hopices greatest resources and we are priviledged to have over 560 on our register. In a typical month volunteers within the Hospice alone put in 1500 hours of effort - that does not include those who give their valued support in our charity shop, fundraising and as volunteer drivers.
All the work done by our volunteers is essential and meaningful, they work in teams in all areas throughout the Hospice. These areas include; reception, day therapy, inpatients unit, driving, flower arranging, gardening, diversional therapies, complementary therapies, catering, administration and bereavement. They are also vital in offering fundraising support at events and in the charity shops and warehouse.
How much time should a volunteer expect to give?
It is usual for our volunteers to give between three-four hours of their time each week, working on a rota basis, although many volunteers do more than their alloted hours, it is entirely up to the individual. Volunteers need to be reliable, committed and dedicated to their role. This ensures that service provision is maintained to the highest level. Some volunteers give a few hours once a year to help with fundraising events saving the Hospice £131,500 in revenue. Volunteers are also very much involved in occasional fundraising events and annual activites, i.e. the Christmas Fayre, bag packing, starlight walk. We are very short of people who want to volunteer just once a year so if you want to volunteer but don't want to commit a huge amount of time then that's fine. We will put you on our emailing list and then you can choose which event you want to support.
Will I receive training?
New volunteers are allocated a mentor and additional training is provided as required which is relevant to the department they are working in. A booklet is provided that covers Health and Safety, fire, moving and handling.
How do I apply?
If you feel that you want to become involved as a volunteer at the Hospice then please contact the volunteer co-ordinator on the telephone number below, who will be delighted to send you an application form for you to complete and return.
Charity Shops
The Hospice operates a number of Charity Shops. A dedicated manager and a hard working team of volunteers help raise vital funds for the Hospice. They sell a wide variety of ‘pre-loved’ goods, including clothing, books, CD’s, jewellery and bric-a-brac. These are all donated by our supporters and we are always looking for more! Please contact the shop (contact details below) for details of our collection service.
Volunteers
We are always looking for new volunteers, so if you would like to help in the shop with such tasks as sorting, steaming and working the till or if you have a flair for customer service or quality window displays, then give us a call. We also need volunteer drivers for our shop. We can offer full training, a fun, friendly environment, travelling expenses, social events and being part of a team that is working to help the hospice.
Download a volunteer application form by clicking here.
