Work for us : Volunteer with us
Overview
We understand that everyone has their own, personal reason for volunteering and we try to provide a range of opportunities across all our departments so you can get the most out of your time with us.
We value all of our volunteers and know that your contribution helps us provide an excellent service to our patients and improves the time they spend in our care.
Benefits of volunteering
Some of the benefits of volunteering include:
- learning new skills
- trying something new
- making new friends
- improving our patients' experiences and quality of life
- finding a rewarding way to spend your free time
Opportunities
We will post our new opportunities here in future.
Frequently asked questions
Who can volunteer?
We accept volunteers who are 16 or older (there is no upper age limit to volunteering with us although some services may require you to be aged 18 or older) and can commit to at least three hours a week, for a minimum of six months.
Unfortunately some of our clinical areas and departments are unable to accept volunteers.
Will there be training?
You don’t need any formal qualifications as we’ll provide a local induction and any training that you might need to carry out your role. You’ll also have a supervisor or mentor to help support you and make sure you’re comfortable with your responsibilities.
We provide care with a focus on safety and will also ask you to complete refresher annual training to continue volunteering with us. We'll always try to do this one-to-one or in a group session.
Can volunteering affect my benefits?
In most cases, volunteering will not affect your benefits but there are some exceptions.
Find out more about volunteering and your benefits on the gov.uk website.
Applying for a volunteering opportunity
If you apply for a role, we’ll invite you for an informal chat. You can ask any questions and find out more about the role and the team you’ll be volunteering with. For most roles, you don’t need any specific skills or experience. If you’re applying for a role that does, we’ll make sure we talk through any requirements with you at this point.
We’ll also ask for references from your past or current employers or people of good standing in your community, such as a community leader, GP, faith leader or teacher.
Finally we’ll ask you to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before starting as a volunteer.
Please read through the opportunities carefully before applying.
Queen's Award Volunteer Service
Our volunteers have received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, which recognises the outstanding achievements of volunteer groups and puts a spotlight on the time, skills and energy that our volunteers have and continue to devote to the benefit of others.