Welcome
Welcome to the Autumn edition of your volunteering newsletter. It’s been a busy year of volunteering, and we’re so grateful to all of you for your continued support. We hope you enjoy this edition!
Our volunteering programme has gone from strength to strength this year, and it’s been amazing to see your hard work and dedication to supporting patients and staff across our hospitals over the last 12 months.
I’m particularly proud of the local young people who joined our hospitals this summer. During July and August, 135 people aged 16 to 21 took part, supporting 6,500 patients across our outpatient wards. It’s lovely to see that some of you have continued to volunteer with us through our term-time programme. You can hear from three volunteers about their experience on pages 2 and 3.
In the last few weeks, we’ve launched a Volunteer Responder scheme at Hammersmith Hospital after the success of Charing Cross Hospital’s pilot programme. This will help us respond to the needs
of services and departments as they arise across Hammersmith Hospital. Read more about the success of the Volunteer Responder pilot on page 13.
As we head deeper into the winter months, please make sure to protect others around you by not coming to the hospital if you feel unwell. This will help you carry out your volunteer role as safely as possible, as well as protecting vulnerable patients from catching viruses such as flu and Covid-19.
Finally, it’s incredible to see several of our volunteers receiving awards for more than 10 years’ service. A huge congratulations to two of our volunteers for 25 years of service to our hospitals. What an inspiration. We are incredibly grateful to all of you for your ongoing support.
Chris Neal Head of Volunteering
Young people support patients across our hospitals
During July and August, we welcomed 135 young people aged between 16 and 21 to take part in our summer Youth Volunteering Programme at Charing Cross, Hammersmith and St Mary’s Hospital.
The volunteers provided 3,700 hours of support to 6,500 patients across outpatient wards. We spoke to some of the volunteers about their experience and what they learnt during the programme...
Isabelle’s experience
Isabelle decided to join the volunteering programme as she wants to study medicine.
She volunteered on a ward for older patients at Charing Cross Hospital and spent time supporting patients during mealtimes.
Isabelle shared how the programme encouraged her to think creatively about how to communicate with patients.
“Some elderly people on the ward found it difficult to communicate and hear so sometimes having long conversations was hard.
“So instead of doing that at mealtimes I would get a post-it note or a piece of paper and stick it on the food tray so they could read it while they were eating.
“Sometimes I would put a drawing on it, or write ‘enjoy your meal’.”
Minnie’s experience
Minnie applied for the programme as she is starting her A Levels this year, and wanted to gain experience in a hospital.
Over the summer she enjoyed volunteering in the Cardiology ward at Hammersmith Hospital.
Minnie built meaningful relationships with patients on the wards, keeping them company during difficult moments.
“I would talk to people who had been in for a long time about what they would do when they were discharged.
“By talking to patients I felt like I was giving them some autonomy back in their lives.”
Perase’s experience
Perase joined the summer volunteering programme to build his confidence in talking to new people.
Before the programme, he had never been in a hospital, and he shared how much he enjoyed talking to people he met over the summer.
“During volunteering, some of my favourite moments were when I had long conversations with patients and staff.
“It also felt incredible to make patients smile and laugh in these conversations and to be able to lift their spirits.”
Volunteer Q&A
Meet Josephina
Name Josephina
At which hospital do you volunteer?
St Mary’s Hospital
How long have you been volunteering with us?
I began volunteering in May 2023.
What is your volunteer role?
I am a Breastfeeding Support Volunteer.
How do you think your role makes a difference at the hospital?
I hope to make babies and parents happy by establishing good breastfeeding habits.
What do you think you’ve learned while volunteering?
I have learned that St Mary’s Hospital has a wonderful and caring maternity department and that this is my dream job.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering?
Helping to give families the best thing for themselves and their baby.
What would you say to someone who is considering volunteering at one of our hospitals?
Do as much as you can when you can as it will help you feel worthwhile. Volunteering is my happy place and time.
Which book would you take with you to a desert island?
Jane Eyre or the complete works of the Brontë sisters.
NHS staff Q&A
Meet Laura
Name Laura Angell
At which hospital do you work?
I am the ward manager for Grand Union Ward and the Paediatric Haematology Day Unit at St. Mary’s Hospital.
What inspired you to work with volunteers?
Paediatric haematology is a demanding place to work and the nursing and medical team often don’t have extra time to play with children or offer parents breaks away from the ward. The volunteers bridge this gap wonderfully for us. They have become an integral part of our team and are passionate about offering support to children and their families.
can take breaks from the ward and have non-medical conversations with volunteers.
What’s your favourite thing about working with volunteers? Every volunteer I’ve met has so much enthusiasm, and they go above and beyond to help out. They bring fresh ideas to our team and offer a new perspective on improvements we could make to our service.
What impact have volunteers made in your team?
They have had a huge impact! The children on the ward love playing games with volunteers and it’s a welcome distraction from their treatment. Parents and carers also feel much more supported as they
Would you like to be interviewed for the Volunteer Q&A feature in our newsletter? We’d love to hear from you! Speak to your hospital volunteering team to let them know you’d like to take part and we’ll get in touch with some quick-fire questions!
Length of Service award winners
Congratulations to all those volunteers listed below who have reached major milestones with us over the last few months. Thank you for your incredible efforts helping our hospitals!
5+
Annabel Fried (5 years)
Amm Amar (25 years)
Teresa Daly (25 years)
Vienne Worlock (15 years)
3
Bridget Sensky
Deb Tanner
Deborah Walsh
Paul Crosswell
Paul Mitchell
Adrian Chung
Andrew Bland
Anna Cozzolino
Ayesha Shakil
Catherine O’Connor
Che-Kwan Chan
Claudinéia Rodrigues-Larkin
Peter Warwick
Rachel Purcell
Richard Chow
Susan O’Reilly
Thessa Gilligan
Dhriti Veerapalli
Dolores Ramirez
Dorota Wasielewska
Gillian O’Connell
Gladis Santos
Harshita Kaur
Hiral Parekh
Ikraan Mohamed
Jael Boateng
James Guy
Josephina Becci
Joy Agcaoili Mariano
Judith Graham
Julia Dominguez
Julia Taylor
June Marshall
Komal Dhillon
Latifa Koukouche
Lina Macasaet Malabanan
Lizzie Norton
Maria Hulse
Maria Silva
Mary Thomas
Mona Xia
Nasim Sadighy
Natali Velez
Nick Hulse
00
Elizabeth Stonor
Hiral Parekh
Julia Taylor
June Marshall
Khushbu Komalbhai Patel
Margaret Thomas
Mark Riddington
Mary Thomas
Mohammed Aldossary
Niran Thiruseelan
Pauline Lubrano
Nita Thakrar
Parmida Tekin
Paula Harris
Philip Wardd
Pui Lai Tam
Rahwa Feshaye
Ranganai Vudzijena
Rufina Maderas
Salma Tania Khanom
Sebastian Cheung
Simrah Sadiq
Sophie Allwright
Stephanie Muggler
Susan Thompson
Tierney Smith
Valentina Nechaeva
Vicky Pearson
Vithushine Thirukumaran
Widad Kazmaz
Xue Sun
Rachel Cooper
Rachel Purcell
Ranganai Vudzijena
Rufina Maderas
Sarah Al Silawi
Simran Ramjali
Sylvia Padera
Ursula Lee
Yingfei Chen
Zac Winzar
Afsaneh Vahedi Moghaddam
Masouleh
Ajit Jansari
Amelie Lord
Andrea Alejandra Vivanco
Moreno
Angela Lam
Aniyah Mason
Arosha Rashmi De Silva
Azadeh Aliyari
Beatrice Wariboko
Benicia Fernandes
Cecile Pradham
Charline Tseng
Che-Kwan Chan
Chi Hang Wong
Claire McDonald
Conor McDonagh
Daniel Callaghan
Daniel Greenfield
David Okoro
Deborah Emovon
Divyesh Prajapati
Eden Mascarenhas
Harshita Kaur
Hebah Ibrahim
Huda Amjad
Isabel Barnidge
Jess Lee
Jill Sinnott
Joo Yeon Sir
Joy Agcaoili Mariano
Kelly Northmore
Kim MacNeill
Kin McEwen
Komal Dhillon
Krishna Shah
Lexie Sanghera
Lina Macasaet Malabanan
Linda Mary Pszon
Lionelle Galloppa
Madalena Da Silva
Mark Riddington
Misbaul Chowdhury
Nasha Kottakkunna
Nicholas Redman
Nita Thakrar
Parmida Tekin
Pui Lai Tam
Rahwa Feshaye
Raquel Calasara
Reem Amrane
Ruth O’Connor
Sadaqat Khan
Sanaz Akhlaghi
Sardar Rafique
Stephanie Muggler
Tierney Smith
Ursula Lee
Valentina Nechaeva
Valentina Relton
Vicky Pearson
Xue Sun
Yingfei Chen
Zvi Barzilai
Hospital updates
Charing Cross Hospital
Bookworms — get in touch! We’re looking for books in all languages to be donated to our library service. We are also recruiting for new Meet and Greet, Mealtime and Library Service Volunteers.
Hammersmith Hospital
The Volunteer Responder scheme started at Hammersmith in November, easing pressures on hospital staff. Patients have been moved from Handfield Jones and John Humphrey wards to make space for refurbishments. Make sure to check the latest updates at the start of your shift.
Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital
We are currently recruiting Mealtime volunteers across a number of wards. Please speak to your Volunteering site team if you would like to find out more.
St Mary’s Hospital
Refurbishments to the Mint Wing are coming to a close, with a new education centre and library set to open. Make sure to keep an eye out for new Meet and Greet volunteers who will join us during the busy winter period.
Western Eye Hospital
We want to extend a huge thank you to our volunteers for your ongoing support with the challenging hospital site. It was a pleasure to see you at our teaching days, and we look forward to inviting you to future sessions.
Celebrating you — our wonderful volunteers!
In June it was lovely to see so many of you attend our Summer thank you event at Kindred Studios in Hammersmith. We celebrated your achievements and hard work, with some volunteers receiving length of service or make a difference awards.
The evening started with drinks and mingling followed by speeches from our Head of Volunteering, Chris Neal, and CEO, Ian Lush. We also enjoyed a wonderful performance
on the bassoon from A&E Consultant Sarah Finlay.
Our CEO shared: “Volunteers are a vital part of our hospitals.
“We cannot thank them enough for their generous contributions, and it’s so wonderful to see these individuals continue to support their local community.”
We can’t wait to celebrate with you soon at our Winter event! Keep an eye out for your invitation in our monthly emails.
Responder Scheme expands to Hammersmith Hospital
Since October 2023, Charing Cross Hospital has been home to our responder scheme, enabling volunteers to meet the day-to-day needs of services and departments across the hospital.
Tasks include collecting medication from the pharmacy, transporting samples from the wards to labs and spending time with patients on and off the wards.
We’re excited to announce that
Since the programme started our 64 volunteer responders have completed...
6,913 interactions 1,970 hours
2 million steps
“Helping, even with small actions, makes a big difference to patients. Even taking specimens to the lab eases pressure off staff to focus on other tasks.”
Volunteering updates
Please donate your old books
Do you have any books looking for a new home? We’re always on the lookout for fiction and non-fiction books to share with patients through our library service. You can drop your books off at your hospital’s volunteering office.
Feeling
unwell? Please stay at home
If you have a cough, cold, or have been vomitting or had diarrohea in the last 72 hours, please do not come to our hospitals to volunteer. This will help protect patients from viruses over the winter months.
Don’t forget to claim your expenses
Please remember to claim your expenses. As a volunteer you are entitled to £5 for a snack and drink during your shift, and £11.70 towards travel. You can pick up an expense form in any of our hospital’s volunteering offices.
Volunteering by numbers 1 June to 1 November 2024
726 volunteers
16,346 hours
5,567 shifts
Your noticeboard
It’s been a busy few months for our hospitalsand our volunteers.
Here are just a few highlights...
Thank you to the wonderful volunteers who supported our runners at the Royal Parks Half Marathon. Your cheering and smiles were much appreciated!
Our green-fingered volunteers have been working hard on the Staff A&E Garden at Charing Cross Hospital, transforming the space into an area where staff can have a moment in nature to unwind.
Fred, one of our therapy dogs at St. Mary’s Hospital, was awardedrecently the title of happiest pet in the UK! Do you know a pooch who would make a good therapy dog? Let us know!
New artwork is bringing colour to the walls of Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital’s volunteering office. Make sure to have a look next time you’re visiting!
We had a brilliant graduation party for our summer youth volunteers in August. We’re so grateful for the young people who spent the summer supporting our hospitals!
A huge well done from the volunteering team for all your contributions to our hospitals over the last few months. Thank you!
