Volunteering

Volunteering can be a good way of getting an idea of what it’s like to work in the health and social care sector. But it’s not a short-term commitment: we ask all our volunteers to give us at least three hours of their time a week for a year, so we can create long-lasting and meaningful roles for them and us. You also need to:

• be over 17
• be good at mixing with people
• enjoy helping others
• want to develop your own skills as an individual.

Current volunteering roles at Darent Valley Hospital include:

• Ward Visitors help make patients’ time in hospital more comfortable by chatting, listening, reading and running errands.
• Dementia Buddy Volunteers are ward based volunteers, supporting older patients with Dementia and those without, through social interaction and activities which help maintain cognitive capabilities such as talking, listening and reading.  We offer Dementia Training so that volunteers have a good understanding of Dementia and how they can positively engage with our patients.
• Caring Companions provide additional support for lone patients in short stay hospital areas including A&E, giving comfort, company and time to lone older patients, offering reassurance, compassion and social interaction. For this role a volunteer should be aged 18yrs+.
• Meet and Greet Volunteers are located at the main entrance or in other departments giving patients and visitors directions and escorting them.
• Meal Assistant Volunteers assist patients with eating and drinking at mealtimes.
• Chaplaincy Volunteers offer spiritual, religious, pastoral and practical support to patients of all beliefs. This is more of a listening and responding role rather than about religion or belief.
• Pets as Therapy Volunteers (need to be members of PAT) provide general company to patients on wards/departments who respond positively to pets.
• Patient Feedback Volunteers promote and support the collection of patient feedback via the Friends and Family Test.
• Clerical Volunteers help behind the scenes with filing, photocopying, packing envelopes and running errands.
• Fundraising Volunteers help the Fundraising Department with the organisation of events, distribution of draw tickets, mail-shots etc. in line with the business of Valley Hospital Charity.
• Valley Park Radio Volunteers either present or help behind the scenes to deliver live and pre-recorded radio shows to patients through the hospital radio station.
• Patient Safety Partners will spend time with patients (and/ or service users) to understand their experience and to serve as a patient voice in patient safety and experience meetings.
• Patient Voice Partners help support health inclusion and equality.

Current volunteering roles at Queen Mary's Hospital include:

• Ward Visitors help make patients’ time in hospital more comfortable by chatting, listening, reading and running errands.

• Meet new people.

• Make friends.

• Being able to give something back.

• Learn new skills and build confidence.

• Look at a possible new career direction.

• A chance to give something back.

Many of our volunteers have very full and busy lives and still manage to find time to help others. You can give as much time as you wish or as little as 3-4 hours per week.

No. Because we have a clear description of each voluntary role and this is agreed with you before you start.

• Bill Stanley
• Colin Jones
• Suzette and David Abbott
• Dave Lockyear
• Trevor Williams
• Tricia Fitzpatrick
• Lorraine Bryant
• Stefan Davis
• Ranjit Rai