The Voluntary Services Department at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals’ NHS Trust provides volunteer support for the work of the trust.  Volunteers are used to complement the work of paid staff and constitute an extra service for the support of patients and visitors.  In view of this, volunteers are very much recognised and valued as part of the team at the Trust.

As part of Volunteers Week, the Trust produced a series of press releases to publicise the work of seven of our voluntary staff members:

Volunteers span all ages

 
The Health Sciences Library at the Ashford and St. Peter’s Hospitals NHS Trust is a good example of how people can enjoy the role of “volunteer” whatever their age. June is traditionally the month when the work of the volunteers in the UK is recognised and the Trust likes to highlight their valuable contribution to the running of both hospitals – and encourage other people to considering becoming a volunteer.

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More than just help . . .  a treasure!

Ashford Hospital volunteer Daphne Witham is a “treasure” as far as her colleagues are concerned.

Said medical secretary Maggie Smythe: “Daphne will do anything, she’s a real treasure.  She’s very reliable, very conscientious and she gets on well with everyone and does whatever she can to help us.”

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Came for help – and stayed to help!

Josie Rothwell was on one of her regular outpatient visits to St. Peter’s in October 1992 when she saw a notice in the League of Friends shop window appealing for volunteers.  She enquired – and got the job!

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Sister was right!

At the age of 62 Pam King, of Feltham, may have been very grown-up and used to making her own decisions, but she still paid attention to what her big sister told her – and she’s very glad she did because her sister was right!

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From Nurse to Volunteer

Beryl Round had just turned 17 when she began her nurse training.  Little did she think that it would lead to a lifetime of devotion to duty and that at 81 she would still be involved in serving the health of her local community!  But that’s just what Beryl is doing – as a volunteer at St. Peter’s Hospital.

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Poster pin-up!

“I pin-up posters in the NHS!”  That may sound a little flippant, but a sense of humour in appropriate circumstances is always a useful attribute for a hospital volunteer like Peter Maskell.

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Happy with Two Volunteering Roles

For 23 years Beryl Comer was a familiar face to users of the Alliance and Leicester’s Ashford branch.  But when the branch closed in 2004 Beryl knew that she would miss meeting people if she just decided to stay at home. Her husband, Barry, was already a volunteer gardener with Age Concern in Spelthorne and when Beryl heard that Ashford Hospital was looking for volunteers she decided to offer her services.

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Hospital volunteers come from very diverse backgrounds and range from 16 to 93 years of age.  With such a variety of skills, abilities and life experiences on offer the contribution volunteers are able to make to many services is enormous. 

Their tasks are many and varied and range from maintaining award winning gardens to helping in wards and other departments.  For those who prefer a more behind the scenes role, many areas are delighted to receive extra clerical help. In addition, there is a thriving Chaplaincy volunteer team providing invaluable support to patients and visitors. 

Even animals get involved with the Pets as Therapy visiting scheme!

All prospective volunteers meet with the Trust’s Voluntary Services Manager to explore what opportunities are available and what the volunteer might be interested in doing.  There are some basic forms that would need to be completed prior to a volunteer commencing with the Trust and the Voluntary Services Manager would go through this process with the prospective volunteer. All volunteers are required to abide by the Trust’s policies and procedures and these are fully explained to the volunteer prior to commencement of voluntary work. Travel expenses can be reimbursed in most cases so that individuals are not out-of-pocket by helping the Trust.

In addition, Voluntary Services covers a wide range of things apart from managing volunteers – for example arranging distribution of donated items, liaison with Leagues of Friends, Hospital Radio, WRVS etc, arranging entertainments, assisting with patient surveys as well as providing input to many different committees.

Voluntary Services Manager

Julie Addison

01932 723239