Prospect Hospice has over 600 volunteers who provide vital support so that the charity can offer free end of life care and support to local people, their families and carers – and more volunteers are needed.
There are around 40 different volunteer roles available that include supporting the care of patients and families at the hospice and in the community, helping in its charity shops, driving patients to appointments, helping the fundraising team generate the funds the charity needs to operate and tending to the gardens.
A lot of people make New Year resolutions to stop smoking, get fit, exercise more – most of which fall to the wayside after just a few weeks, with as many as one in three of us giving up on our resolutions by 10 January. So why not do something that will make a real difference and help improve the quality of life for people living with a terminal illness?
Whether you volunteer in a shop, at an event, or in the hospice, the support and helping hands volunteers provide is invaluable and really does help to make a difference to patients and their families.
Katie Brammer explains why she began volunteering for Prospect Hospice early last year in its Taw Hill shop: “I wanted to give back my time for the amazing help and support they gave my husband and our family when he was at end of life care. I looked forward to going into the shop every day and helping the community. I loved all the different parts of a role as a volunteer so much and began taking on new challenges in the shop using my own skills to help raise vital funds for the hospice.
“When a new store was opening I applied for the role of assistant manager as I believed I could really help make a difference. With perseverance and determination, I am now the shop manager and I love my job and still look forward to going in every day.”
Su Starkey, Prospect Hospice’s head of volunteering, learning and inclusion, said: “We have over 600 amazing volunteers who add value, equating to around £1million a year to the hospice, helping us continue to provide vital care and support for local people.
“We are always on the lookout for more volunteers to join our team, build new skills, meet new people and make new friends, boost your CV, and contribute towards the quality of a patients’ care, why not get in touch or take a look at our volunteer vacancies online.”
To find out more about volunteering for Prospect Hospice or to see its current volunteer vacancies visit www.prospect-hospice.net/volunteering, or email volunteering@prospect-hospice.net
Don’t have any spare time to volunteer? You could always support the hospice by joining one of their fundraising events, like the Spring Run or taking on a challenge such as skydiving, running a marathon or a Tough Mudder event. Find your next challenge at www.prospect-hospice.net/challenges
—————————
About Prospect Hospice
Prospect Hospice is a charity providing end of life care to people 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and has been rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission. The hospice provides all its services free of charge to patients and this is made possible thanks to generous donations from the community it serves which raises 75% of the £8 million it costs each year to operate.
Patient support is delivered in a variety of ways, tailored to the needs of the individual. Specialist teams provide clinical, emotional and practical support to patients and their families delivered at the hospice in Wroughton, Swindon, and in people’s homes.
Prospect Hospice was founded in 1980 and serves a community of more than 300,000 people in Swindon and north east Wiltshire, including Royal Wootton Bassett, Marlborough and Pewsey, plus Lechlade and Fairford in Gloucestershire.
Leave a Reply