There are many reasons why people choose to get involved. These are just a few:

• To support the work of the hospice
  To give something back to their local community
  To do something unusual and inspiring
  To meet people and make new friends
  To learn new skills and improve their CV

Because its good for your mental and physical health – it feels good to do good!
The response given by most of our volunteers about why they do it is quite simply because they find it enjoyable and rewarding, knowing they are making a difference.

For many of our volunteer roles you don’t need any specific skills or experience, just enthusiasm and a willingness to be involved. For some patient facing roles, for example complementary therapist, chaplaincy or bereavement roles you may be required to have experience or qualifications which will need to be evidenced on your application. Full details will be provided on the role descriptions and we give you training in your specific volunteer role. No matter what role you do, your support will complement the care we can offer to our patients and their families.

Yes of course! You can volunteer in as many roles as you wish to. Several of our volunteers help in different teams. You just need to let us know either when you apply or once you are settled in one role, you may wish to support another team; either is fine.

We have several roles at St Helena and we aim to match the volunteer with the right roles for their personality, skills and experience. Some volunteers prefer to do something new and completely different to their usual area of expertise, while some like to use their regular profession to support St Helena. If you’re not sure, just call the volunteer services team for a chat and we can look at all available options with you before making a decision.

Volunteer roles at St Helena can be flexible depending on the role you choose and your availability. Some patient facing or retail roles can require morning, afternoon, evening or weekend commitments while others can be flexible. Whatever you can offer, whether its one hour or ten hours a month, we are sure to find something for you.

For roles in our retail or fundraising teams, we accept volunteer applications from anyone aged 16+.

For patient facing roles, we can only accept volunteer applications from anyone aged 18+

There is no upper age limit for joining our volunteer team.

As a care provider, we need to carry out pre-recruitment checks. This will vary depending on the role you have applied for but will include references. For any patient facing roles a Disclosure and Barring Check will be carried out. 

You will be required to undertake annual mandatory training for health and safety. For most roles, this is completed online however if you volunteer in one of our shops or donation centre, you will receive a booklet to read and sign to confirm your training. All volunteers will receive training specific to their role

We understand that those who have sadly suffered a recent bereavement may want to volunteer to give something back to the hospice as a thank you for the support they or a loved one has received. We also recognise that everyone deals with grief in a different way. We therefore, treat everyone’s situation individually and while there may be some patient facing roles that we cannot offer you if you have experienced a bereavement within the last 12 to 24 months, this does not exclude you from all roles so please contact the volunteer services team for an informal chat about your situation and roles that you are interested in.

Volunteering will not affect any state benefits you receive however you should inform your job centre or benefits office that you are starting a volunteer role. If you are claiming Jobseekers Allowance, you can volunteer for a maximum of 17.5 hours per week, as you must allocate time to continue to seek paid employment, and you should be willing and able to attend a potential employment interview at short notice. Don’t forget, volunteering looks great on your CV! 

We have lots of great opportunities for corporate volunteering which can be done either individually or as a group.  Please contact us on 01206 931 466 to discuss your options.