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Exciting volunteer opportunities at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
The West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust’s (WSFT) volunteer services team are looking to recruit new therapy volunteers to interact with patients at the West Suffolk Hospital who have had a stroke and are completing rehabilitation. These volunteers will work with patients to help them reach their rehabilitation goals before being discharged from hospital.
The therapy volunteers will help with group rehabilitation sessions on the stroke ward, getting the groups up and running, supporting with activities, and engaging patients in conversation. Hannah Davey, clinical specialist occupational therapist, explained how the new stroke volunteer role supports the team: “The volunteer role is new to therapy in the hospital. On the ward, we have certain guidelines to adhere to, and those involve keeping patients active after they’ve had a stroke for six hours a day. This can sometimes be a challenge with our level of staffing, so we had to think differently about how to keep our patients active.
“Together with the volunteer services team, we have created this new position to support our patients, and our first therapy volunteer Sharon has been brilliant in supporting the team.”
Sharon Scott, who has been in the role now for about six months, said: “A typical morning for me on the ward starts with a group therapy session. I can help to get patients into the group, and I can model the exercises, such as footwork. I help to set up the activities as well, for example, when we do 10 pin bowling, I can set it up, fetch the balls, and keep track of the scores.
“I retired a couple of years ago and just felt like I wanted to give something back. When I first joined as a volunteer, I wasn’t sure where in the hospital I wanted to be, so I talked through some options with the volunteer services team, and I thought this new role sounded exciting.
“The benefits for me are having the experience of mixing with so many different people. It’s nice to talk to people from all different walks of life. Finding ways that I can communicate with people, and leaving them feeling better from our chat, or me helping them with something benefits me just as much as the patients. When I walk out, I feel like I’ve been able to make a positive difference to people.
“To people thinking about joining as a therapy volunteer, I would say absolutely - come and give it a go! If you’re thinking of volunteering and want to engage with people, this is a perfect role.”
The therapies team are hoping to recruit a volunteer to support every session, which occur on Monday to Friday in the mornings.
The Trust welcomed Lee Ranson as the new volunteer services lead in September 2024, who joined from his previous role as charity manager for Braintree Area Foodbank. Lee is keen to spread the word about the value of volunteering at the Trust.
Lee said: “I have been so impressed by the warm welcome I have had. I’ve been meeting the teams our volunteers interact with across the Trust, with a focus on sharing the amazing value volunteers can offer.”
With 300 amazing volunteers already at the Trust, the volunteer services team are always keen to welcome more.
Lee added: “I have a passion for volunteering and the power of volunteers – I have seen the positive impact volunteers bring and the value people get from volunteering.
“Here at the Trust, we have a diverse range of people giving their time, and in a broader range of ages than you might expect. This includes students, who join us through our student Health and Care Academy programme, which gives 16- to 18-year-olds the chance to learn about careers in the NHS and shadow teams in our wards and departments, as well as people who work part time or have retired and have time to offer.”
To see all the current volunteering opportunities at the Trust, visit the volunteer services website. The team are always happy to have a conversation with anyone interested in volunteering before applying. Contact them via email at volunteer.services@wsh.nhs.uk. The team also have a student volunteering programme for students aged 16-19, and anyone in university education at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
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