Chichester hospice volunteers thanked for 1,572 hours of support a week

Last year volunteers gave an incredible 1,572 hours a week to help support St Wilfrid's Hospice.
All about the St Wilfrid's Hospice volunteersAll about the St Wilfrid's Hospice volunteers
All about the St Wilfrid's Hospice volunteers

In National Volunteer Week, starting today (Thursday), Alison Moorey, hospice CEO thanked the team of volunteers who donate their time, whether it is in the ten shop locations, out in the community fundraising or helping at the hospice.

“Since the hospice opened in 1987 we have cared for over 17,000 people and their loved ones and volunteers have been integral to our care since the very beginning,” she said.

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“Every day, our volunteers help us to go the extra mile to support patients and those who matter most to them, in so many varied and often imaginative ways.

“Fundamental to our care is ensuring every patient we support knows we care about what matters most to them and that we will do our very best to help meet their needs.

“The volunteers in our shops do a great deal to support our customers and donors.

“There are many other ways that volunteers support our work, including fundraising and supporting our education programmes. ”

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The hospice has more thanr 30 volunteering opportunities, with volunteers contributing anything from one hour a week, as a driver, to one day a week working in one of the shops or donation centres.

Val Stuckey has been a hospice visitor for around six years. “One of the best parts of the role is being able to see people’s individual journeys,” said Val.

When former nurse Val retired she decided she would like to volunteer for St Wilfrid’s. She underwent a six-day hospice visitor training programme and can opt for further training.

“Whether we are talking with a patient or a relative who is recently bereaved they can all start off quite low. However, as time starts to pass they become more able to start a new journey for themselves and you can see that they have a sense of peace.

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“I would certainly recommend this volunteering role to anyone. The most important thing is being able to listen to people. It is a chance for them to be able to speak freely about any concerns without judgement or worrying about upsetting other people in their lives.”

Alison added: “We always welcome interest from potential new volunteers– you can be part of our exciting future as we move towards our new hospice in Bosham.”

Call Emma Lemm on 01243 755815 or email [email protected] to arrange an introduction.

Visit our what can I do and where page to see more on the variety of opportunities we have.