Welcome
Welcome to the Winter edition of your volunteering newsletter. In this edition, you’ll find all your favourite features - along with lots of news and updates that I hope you’ll find helpful in your volunteer role.
Our volunteering programme at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has continued to expand in the last year. And it’s been exciting and rewarding to see how we’ve been able to achieve even more together over the last 12 months.
Whether it’s the huge contribution made by our brand new ‘responder’ volunteers at Charing Cross Hospital, the fantastic efforts of everyone who helped us deliver winter breakroom supplies to teams of staff at our hospitals in December and January, or the incredible success stories from those of you who have completed our employability programme and secured a new job, we are continuing to make a real difference.
That’s why our recent winter Thank You event at No.11 Cavendish Square was such a special occasion for me. Spending time and catching up with all of you
is a wonderful opportunity to say thank you in person. It’s one of the highlights of my year, and I hope those of you who were able to join us had a wonderful time.
As we look ahead to 2024, there are lots more opportunities for you to get involved. Please do keep an eye on our website to find out about the latest volunteer roles at our hospitals and get in touch with the hospital volunteering team at your site if you have any questions or queries.
Thank you once again for all your fantastic efforts as a volunteer. Myself and the whole team are truly grateful for your supportand we can’t wait to do it all again in 2024!
Best wishes, Chris
Chris Neal Head of Volunteering
How we’re helping people find routes into work through volunteering
In September last year we had our first cohort of volunteers on our Volunteer Employability Programme, designed to support those interested in progressing into work, apprenticeships or education in health or social care. Read about our volunteers’ experience below ..
Jhili’s story
Jhili was a qualified nurse in Bangladesh and recently relocated to the UK with her family. She was very keen to work in healthcare, but wasn’t sure how to start. Through our employability programme
at St Mary’s, Jhili was provided with support for job applications and interview skills, building her confidence speaking English. She said: “I enjoyed attending the workshops and the coaching sessions. I couldn’t believe it when I was offered a job as a Healthcare Support Worker at Lillian Holland ward. My family, friends, and I are so happy. It’s so nice to be working in a hospital again.”
Tsega’s story
Tsega joined the employability programme while looking for a job. She wanted to get a role in healthcare but didn’t have direct experience and wanted some support with her application and
interview techniques. Tsega started as a Mealtime Support Volunteer, meeting and greeting visitors and supporting ward staff, while receiving in-person sessions to improve her CV - and she’s recently started as a Healthcare Support Worker at St Mary’s Hospital.
Germain’s story
Germain decided to join the programme last September after a series of unsuccessful job interviews. She received help with her online interview skills, career planning and CV writing. She said: “The 1-1 sessions with the Programme Manager, Maryam, were so helpful. She guided me on how to draft strong CVs, and the dos and don’ts of interviews. The workshops were also very informative. I’m grateful for the guidance and support and the opportunities to share experiences and knowledge with others.”
If you’re interested in joining the next cohort of our employability programme in April, please email us for more information: volunteering@imperialcharity.org.uk
Andy’s Festive
Meet Gill
What’s your name?
Gill Thomas
What’s your role?
I’m part of the Macmillan Support Service. We facilitate patient support, providing coaching groups and 1-to-1 emotional support for people living with cancer and their families.
How long have you been working with us?
I’ve been working here for 10 years.
What inspired you to work with volunteers?
I worked with volunteers at another hospital and saw the incredible impact they had on the service. As soon as I started here, I knew we needed to include volunteers in our team. They’re such an important part of what we do.
What impact have volunteers made on your team?
The volunteers assist us in providing on-the-spot, drop-in
support for people visiting the hospital. They signpost to our services and are there to greet patients and be a friendly face. They often go above and beyond, and we couldn’t be more grateful for all they do.
What’s your favourite thing about working with volunteers?
How kind they are. People see Macmillan as a place where you can take your problems. The volunteers are very good at accepting people as they are, where they’re at in their treatment and supporting family members along the way. Our whole support service just wants to express our appreciation and thanks!
Cheers! Raising a glass to you, our fantastic volunteers ...
We were thrilled to see so many of you at our Thank You event in January as we celebrated the incredible contribution you all make to help our hospitals.
There was food, drink and fun to enjoy at No.11 Cavendish Square before we handed out special awards for many of you who have gone the extra mile to help our patients.
We were also joined by several NHS colleagues who shared their gratitude for everything you do.
Between April 2023 and January 2024, 821 of you have given over 24,000 hours of your time, helping to improve the hospital experience for more than 112,000 patients.
“Being able to spend time with so many of our volunteers and thank them in person makes these events one of the highlights of our year,” said Chris Neal, our Head of Volunteering. “2023 saw our team of volunteers get even bigger, and we can’t wait to see the difference you all make in the coming months.”
Volunteer Q&A
Meet Lizzie (and Woozle!)
What’s your name?
Lizzie Norton
At which hospital do you volunteer?
Hammersmith Hospital
When did you start volunteering with us?
August 2023
volunteering?
What is your volunteer role?
I’m a Therapy Dog Volunteer
How do you make a difference as a volunteer?
My dog Woozle brings a smile to patients and staff alike!
What do you think you’ve learned while volunteering?
How pleased everyone is to see us both (probably Woozle more than me of course!) And how a short visit can help lift the tedium of being in hospital for patients - or bring a moment’s respite to staff during a busy and stressful day on the ward.
Woozle loves the biscuits she gets as treats from the patients! And for me it’s the satisfaction of knowing we’ve done something small but good that day.
What would you say to someone who is considering volunteering? Do it! The team are so friendly and always there to help. Commitment is flexible, it’s easy to fit in a visit around your busy life - and the reward is seeing the pleasure everyone gets from your time.
If you could take one book with you on a desert island, what would it be?
Winnie the Pooh!
Hospital updates
Charing Cross Hospital
Our fabulous gardening volunteers have been busy planting bulbs in the dementia garden and looking after the new plant pots outside A&E. Also, swing by the main entrance to see an exhibition of colourful artwork by members of the Art and Wellbeing Group.
Hammersmith Hospital
Claire is the new volunteer supervisor on Handfield Jones ward as Lin takes up her new role in the Neuroscience and Stroke department at Charing Cross. Make sure to visit the gorgeous new exhibition by artist Susie Hamilton on the south corridor!
Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital
We’d like to extend a warm welcome to Esperenza, a new volunteer supervisor in the Gynaecology Outpatients department at Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea. She will be taking over responsibility for supporting our Hospital Host Volunteers.
St Mary’s Hospital
Lillian Holland has been converted into a winter pressures ward, with gynaecology patients now in Aleck Bourne 2. The Fleming Museum celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, and we’re excited it will be the first ‘World Origin Site’ in a new international directory.
Western Eye Hospital
Plans to remodel the entrance and reception area of are under way and we hope to share more updates with you very soon. Keep an eye out for the new artworks our arts team have added across the hospital – and let us know your favourites!
Andy’s Festive A huge thank you! Blooming marvellous volunteers get hands on to help us plant 10,000 daffodil bulbs outside our hospitals
In November and December last year an amazing group of corporate volunteers visited Charing Cross and Hammersmith Hospitals to plant 10,000 daffodil bulbs which will be ready to bloom this spring.
We welcomed individuals from Tishman Speyer, BNP Paribas, Vodafone and more to help add a splash of colour to the hospitals for patients, visitors and staff.
The green-fingered helpers took on a variety of activities, led by garden designers Beth and Dario from Dario Pizzi Design, including mixing and sorting bulbs in planting groups, digging holes, planting bulbs and putting the turf back in place ready to blossom.
Their fantastic efforts will improve the overall appearance of the hospitals, providing a warm welcome for patients and visitors at Charing Cross and Hammersmith.
Like many of those taking part, Martyna, a Business Development Specialist at Vodafone, has a personal connection to our hospitals: “I was treated at Charing Cross in 2011 and 2022,” she said.
“I had a ruptured brain aneurysm and the doctors here saved my life. I decided to volunteer today just to give something back, and my colleagues also joined to support me.
“The highlight for me was seeing
how everyone came together to do this project. I think we worked really well together and I really enjoyed it!”
Beautifully bright and light, daffodils are the first perennial flowers to bloom after a long, cold winter, and will be the first flowers hospital visitors will see in the new year.
Daffodil bulbs and refreshments were generously provided by CBRE, who also prepared the soil for the days.
A huge thank you to everyone at, BNP Paribas, CBRE, London Business School, Putney Rotary Club, Hammersmith Community Garden Association, Tishman Speyer, Visa, and Vodafone for taking part.
Length of Service award recipients
Congratulations to all those volunteers listed below who have reached milestones of 30 hours, 100 hours, 1 year and 3 years with us over the last few months.
Thank you all for dedicating your time to help our hospitals!
3-5
Carla De Miranda (5 years)
Carole Hembest (5 years)
Natalie Cook (5 years)
Farida Barma (3 years)
Ipek Muminoglu (3 years)
Lorenzo Garcia
Belengeur (3 years)
Belinda Perry
Dalila Menguellet
Dorothea Munasinghe
Endesa Franca
Humayra Zaman
Lisa Seilis
Louis Cahill
Maggie Baker
Maria Powell
Maya Richie
Miranda Wenjia Xie
Natalia Falciano
Natasha Pring
Patricia Ip
Ryan Yapi
Sarah Al Silawi
Sen Yau Lee
Shamima Talukdar
Susannah Kurti
Teresa Hooper
Zac Winzar
Zalish Malik
Christopher Everard
Claudineia Rodrigues-Larkin
Duncan Kegerreis
Gillian O’Connell
Ipek Muminoglu
Josephina Becci
Judit Schoblocher
Julie Fletcher
Leidy Marin
Afsaneh Vahedi Moghaddam
Masouleh
Anna Cozzolino
Ariana Din Mohammad
Apisan Sivaragu
Atifa Wasim
Bissan Jomaa
Celware Hmaidatou
Clare Riley
Daniel Callaghan
Faim Faim
Fatima Hossen Dhebesh
Ebeid
Gladis Santos
Hawa Mohamed
Hiu Yeung Chung
Israh Fajardo
Jilla Bond
Josh Keen
Julia Taylor
Julie Ford
June Marshall
Kate McLeod Scott
Khalid Aitidar
Latifa Koukoche
Marda Papa
Margaret Thomas
Maria Hulse
Leonardo Do Nascimento
Lucy Hart
Maureen Gilmour
Paula Harris
Roza Ali
Sadeneh Aslanzadeh
Sia Sayers
Val Copus
Mary Thomas
Michael Harper
Mohammad Hadid
Mona Xia
Nandana Kiran
Nasim Sadighy
Natali Velez
Nicholas Hulse
Nick Shademan
Pauline Lubrano
Philip Ward
Ranganai Vudzijena
Rayan Adan
Ruth Balcombe
Rositsa Tomova
Sara Albasha
Sebastian Cheung
Shalini Ramachandran
Sabarinathan
Sivani Suresh
Sophie Allwright
Stephanie Hartman
Sukhman Sekhon
Susan Zulu
Tiziana Sergi
Widad Kazma
Yasmin Mouauia
Yeung Jimmy Fan
Zaineb Al-Yassiri
Volunteering updates
Well done to the group of volunteers who helped us distribute breakroom supply boxes to staff across our hospitals in December and January. We received some wonderful thank you messages from staff working long hours over the festive period!
Over the next few months we’ll be opening up opportunities for you to get involved in a wide range of volunteer roles at our hospitals. And at Charing Cross we’ve been in conversation with the Neurology team, the Riverside Wing and the Outpatients team to create new volunteering roles in these areas.
We love hearing from you, and wanted to share a couple of the lovely messages you’ve sent ...
“I loved working with Margaret – she showed me around and reassured me on my first shift. I learnt a lot from both Margeret and Eva and I’m excited to come in again!” Kaneezah, A&E Volunteer
“You would think hearing ‘thank you’ from patients would be the norm for me now. But each time is like the first time - I feel so privileged to know I’m making someone feel comfortable and cared for.” Susan, 6West Volunteer
Volunteering by numbers
1 September 2023 to 31 December 2023
536 volunteers
9,790 hours
4.6/5 average shift rating
Your noticeboard
For lots more information and support to help you in your volunteer role, please have a look at our websiteimperialcharity.org.uk/ volunteering. You can also get in touch with your hospital volunteering team or call in
We’re proud that our first volunteer to visit ICU at St Mary’s was Vicky, with her lovely dog Fred, who has provided companionship and friendship to staff and patients.
Thank you to the amazing volunteers who have helped to look after the dementia garden and plant pots outside Charing Cross Hospital’s A&E department!
Thank you to those of you who helped us deliver hundreds of boxes of winter breakroom supplies to staff at our hospitals in December and January.
Our volunteer-run library service is returning to our hospitals in 2024. Say hello to our regal purple trolley, ready to be laden with
We’d like to wish a very warm welcome to the 10 new members of our volunteer team at the Western Eye Hospital. We hope you enjoy your new roles!
Your volunteering team! L-R: Maryam, James, Liz, Giorgio. Amy, Ileri, Jarina, Chris, Eva, Sam and Louise.