'We could not do without them': Shropshire hospitals salute army of volunteers
They are the unsung heroes who give up their spare time to work behind the scenes to help support staff, patients and visitors at Shropshire’s major hospitals.
There are more than 700 volunteers helping out at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford; and they are complemented by over 300 volunteers who support the League of Friends of RSH and Friends of PRH.
Volunteers range from students looking to gain experience in the NHS for future careers, to those who have retired and are looking for a way to give something back.
The trust has volunteers in most wards and departments at both hospitals.
They include ward helpers, mealtime buddies, meet and greeters, hostesses, dementia volunteers, end of life care volunteers, lab volunteers and many more.
Covid-19 coverage:
The support has continued throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, during which the trust’s volunteers’ office received an overwhelming response from people wanting to help in roles such as portering assistants, administrative support and catering assistants.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which runs both hospitals, is celebrating its hundreds of volunteers during National Volunteers Week.
Poppy Horrocks, response volunteer lead at SaTH, said: “Due to Covid-19, we are unable to host our annual volunteer thank you event, so instead we are taking to social media to celebrate the time and commitment our wonderful volunteers give to our hospitals.
“We have a series of social media posts planned for the week, and a very special thank you to all of our volunteers will also be shared in a video made by our staff and volunteer team.”
For some, a volunteer role can also be a stepping stone to other work opportunities.
Jenna Coxhill volunteered for the trust at the end of 2019 on the postnatal ward, and has since been offered a permanent role.
She said: “I enjoyed every moment of my volunteer role. I was made to feel so welcome by the postnatal team.
"My experience has undoubtedly led to me being offered a permanent job. It’s great to be able to support new mums, the staff and other volunteers on ward 21.”
There are also three generations of the same family working in the trust, either as volunteers or with volunteers.
Pat Dodsworth volunteers at the Hamar Centre at RSH.
She said: “My role is to help the centre administrator with the day to day running. I make beverages, talk to the clients and try to make them feel as comfortable as possible before they see a counsellor.
"I love talking to people and meeting new people so this role is perfect for me and on a personal level, I feel like I am giving something back to the centre as my husband was treated at the hospital. I walk away with a smile on my face knowing I have hopefully, made people feel at ease.”
Pat’s daughter, Nicola Crawford, also volunteers.
She said: “I have been helping in the SaTH charity office, distributing all the wonderful donations around the trust to staff.
"Whilst I have been in doing this, I have enjoyed chatting to members of staff and hopefully putting a smile on their faces with their donations.
"I have been overwhelmed by the positivity of everyone I have met and it’s made this role so enjoyable.
"I could not have thought of a better way to spend my spare time during this lockdown and to feel like I am doing my bit for the hospitals.”
Pat’s granddaughter and Nicola’s daughter, Rachel Higgins, works in the trust as a volunteer co-ordinator.
She said: “I feel a great sense of pride as our volunteers make such a difference to our patients, staff and visitors.
"I know the work I do contributes ultimately to our patients’ experiences.”
Julia Clarke, director of corporate services at SaTH, said the support from volunteers is "wonderful".
She added: “They really do make a huge difference in our hospitals, supporting our staff and helping our patients – and we could not do without them.
"I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who volunteers to help in their spare time in our hospitals, we are so grateful for everything that they do for us.”
There are a number of ways to volunteer at SaTH. Anyone who is interested can get in touch with the volunteer office on 01743 492256, 01743 261118 or email sath.members@nhs.net
