Volunteering at SaTH

Volunteering is a fantastic opportunity for people to develop skills, give back to their local community and explore careers within healthcare.  All of our volunteers play an important role within our hospitals at SaTH, working alongside staff in a variety of departments. Volunteering is fun and rewarding, it allows you to meet new people, make new friends and try new things – it can even keep you active, mentally and physically.

Our volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds and we really value the different skills, outlooks and experiences that our volunteers bring to the organisation. You can make a real difference to the experience of our patients, relatives and staff. As a volunteer you will meet lots of new people and join a growing volunteer community at SaTH.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has successfully delivered four cohorts through the Volunteer to Career (VtC) Programme which supports people to explore careers in healthcare while volunteering. We are working with Helpforce, which is a national charity set up to expand volunteering in the NHS, and the local Armed Forces network as one of 14 pilot sites to deliver two Veterans and Families Volunteer to Career Programmes with the aim of creating a pathway for retired veterans and their families to work within the healthcare sector in clinical and non-clinical roles.

The aim of the role as a ward-based volunteer is to make a patient’s stay in hospital as comfortable as possible by offering them your friendliness, energy and resourcefulness throughout your time there. As a ward-based volunteer, you will work in partnership with ward staff, patients and carers to provide extra support and encouragement to patients on the ward.  There are many aspects to ward-based roles and for some elements (mealtime buddies and activity volunteers) you will need to complete additional training provided by the Volunteer Team.

A ward is a busy environment and it is essential that volunteers are able to take a proactive approach to the role, whilst always being guided by the Nurse in Charge, your role description and importantly, the wishes of the individual patient. To be considered for this role you must have an empathetic and caring nature and be available for at least 4 hours every week.

A warm smile and an offer to help can make a huge difference to someone who maybe visiting our hospital for the first time, who may be confused or stressed or simply rushing to get to an appointment and needs quick and simple advice to help them get to their destination. Meet and Greet Volunteers are on hand to support patients and visitors when they come onto the hospital sites.

Spending time with a patient, even for short time, can make a huge difference to a patient’s hospital stay – particularly those who may not have many visitors. In the Befriending role you will work under the direction of a member of staff to identify patients who may not have had a visitor and you will keep patients company by talking, reading and befriending them.

Volunteers in this area can make a huge difference to our patients receiving care for a cancer diagnosis. Whether in a meet and greet role or providing company and refreshments to patients receiving treatment, a warm and smiley face can make a hard day a little easier.

Living With and Beyond Cancer (LWBC)

The role of the Living With and Beyond Cancer (LWBC) volunteer is to respond to ad hoc requests for support and facilitation at Living Well Sessions based out in the community for people affected by cancer. Volunteers facilitate conversations with those who have been affected by cancer in some way. This can be a highly emotional but rewarding role. Full facilitation training will be provided and there will always be a member of staff at the Living Well Sessions to support you. A knowledge of the cancer pathway would be beneficial. The programme has recently expanded to include a Men’s Living Well Session and is also looking for volunteers to represent the programme at community events.

Speciality Patient Experience Groups are being established to drive patient experience initiatives at a local level. The groups will work to improve patient experience in the area, including:

  • How the service responds and learns from feedback
  • Identifying trends to inform work and help improve services
  • Represent the patient voice, providing insight from a patient perspective

This is an exciting opportunity for patients or carers who have accessed services within the Trust since 2021 to get involved within a wide range of services such as; Medicine, Emergency, Surgery, Women’s Health, Maternity, Children & Young People, Support Services and Corporate Services.

Our youth volunteering programme is aimed at 16 and 17 year olds who are interested in a future job in healthcare. We are committed to supporting young people in their career aspirations within the NHS. Our youth programme is currently CLOSED to applications and will be reopened in 2025.

Volunteers are at the core of what the League of Friends does. They now only have 35-40 volunteers, when once they had upwards of 200, so are keen to build up again to help in the four shops across the Royal Shrewsbury site.

They are looking for volunteers aged 16 and upwards, from teenagers looking to learn life experience, to retirees looking to make new friends. Often volunteers are looking to “give something back” after receiving treatment from equipment donated by the League of Friends, while others are looking to help a worthwhile cause in their local community.

All the money the volunteers help raise contributes directly to the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust by gifting the very latest medical equipment.

However, just as important to them, and to patients, is being able to offer a touch of kindness or a friendly smile at what may be a difficult time.

If you think volunteering might be for you then, please contact the Shops manager, Lee on 01743 261008 to discuss what hours you might be able to commit to. Every little helps!

Telephone

01743 492256

Email
sath.volunteers@nhs.net

Office Hours
Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

Address
William Farr House, Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury, SY3 8XL

Volunteer News

Trust celebrates Volunteers’ Week

June 3rd, 2024|

3 June 2024 Monday 3 June marks the 40th anniversary of Volunteers’ Week – a week that is celebrated nationally, and shines a light on the incredible impact that volunteers make. Throughout the week, [...]

  • Volunteer to Career Programme presentation evening

Trust celebrates Volunteer to Career programme

March 6th, 2024|

6 March 2024 Sixteen aspiring healthcare individuals have received recognition for completing the Volunteer to Career (VtC) Programme in midwifery at the Trust, which runs the county’s two acute hospitals. Volunteers on the most [...]

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