Volunteering

 Volunteering with the East Lancashire Hospice.

Why volunteer?
Volunteers at the Hospice are a valued and essential part of the team and their contribution enhances and supplements the work of; clinical, administrative, retail and fundraising staff.
Our volunteers play an important part in maintaining the high standards that are synonymous with the Hospice and they are vital to the holistic care given to patients.
Volunteering is also a great way to meet new people, gain experience and more importantly, to help our patients make the most of each day.

How are volunteers involved?
Volunteers are one of the Hopices greatest resources and we are priviledged to have 200 on our register. In a typical month volunteers within the Hospice alone put in 1500  hrs. of effort- that does not include those who give their valued support in our charity shop, fundraising and as volunteer drivers.
All the work done by our volunteers is essential and meaningful, they work in teams in all area's throughout the Hospice. These area's include; reception, day therapy, inpatients unit, driving, flower arranging, gardening, diversional therapies, complementary therapies, catering administration and bereavement.  They are also vital in offering fundraising support at events and in the charity shop.

How much time should a volunteer expect to give?
It is usual for our volunteers to give between three-four hours of their time each week, working on a rota basis, although many volunteers do more than their alloted hours, it is entirely up to the individual. Volunteers need to be reliable, committed and dedicated to their role. This ensures that service provision is maintained to the highest level.

Will I recieve training? 
Induction training is given three times per year and all new volunteers are invited to attend. There are also mandatory training courses covering; moving & handling, hygiene awareness and fire safety of which all volunteers must attend every year. New volunteers are allocated a mentor and additional training is provided as required.

How do I apply?
If you feel that you want to become involved as a volunteer at the Hospice then please contact the volunteer co-ordinator on the telephone number below, who will be delighted to send you an application form for you to complete and return.

Charity Shop
The Hospice operates a Hospice shop located on Railway road in Blackburn. A dedicated manager and a hard working team of volunteers help raise vital funds for the Hospice. They sell a wide variety of ‘pre-loved’ goods, including clothing, books, CD’s, jewellery and bric-a-brac. These are all donated by our supporters and we are always looking for more! Please contact the shop (contact details below) for details of our collection service.

Volunteers
We are always looking for new volunteers, so if you would like to help in the shop with such tasks as sorting, steaming and working the till or if you have a flair for customer service or quality window displays, then give us a call. We also need volunteer drivers for our shop. We can offer full training, a fun, friendly environment, travelling expenses, social events and being part of a team that is working to help the hospice.

To down load a volunteer application form please click HERE (application under construction)

Latest News