What can I do as a volunteer?

Why Volunteering could be for you…

There are a huge range of volunteering opportunities available in health and care in Norfolk and Waveney, from welcoming visitors at your local hospital, chatting to patients on the ward or visiting them as they arrive home, to offering staff a helping hand behind the scenes. Your local Voluntary Services Team will be able to tell you which roles they are recruiting for at present and talk through which opportunities would be the best fit for what you are looking for.

For information about the Volunteer to Career programme, please click here

Here are some examples:

  • Meal time assistants
  • Older People’s Medicine
  • Settle In
  • Ward Activities
  • Friends and family test

Norfolk Community Health and Care Volunteer Service

Patient Feedback & Survey Volunteer

The purpose of this role is to support NCH&C by gathering feedback by telephone from patients who have recently received treatment from the Trust’s services.

Volunteers make phone calls from their own homes, identified patients in the community, to go through the relevant survey, recording responses via an online link.

This role requires approximately 2 – 3 hours per week, at a time to suit the volunteer.

Volunteers are provided with an NCH&C e-mail account in order to receive the patient names and phone numbers securely. Full Induction Training given including Data Security & Confidentiality.

Location : Home-based
Contact : volunteering@nchc.nhs.uk

Ward Support Volunteer

The aim of the Ward Support Volunteer role is to engage with patients at NCH&C inpatient units, offering companionship, gathering patient experience information, and providing basic practical support. Specific tasks will vary depending on the needs of the team and patients.

This role involves an ongoing commitment of 2-3 hours a week.

All volunteers will need to undertake a Standard DBS check and provide two appropriate character references.

Full Volunteers’ Induction training provided giving a comprehensive introduction to Voluntary Norfolk and NCH&C and key subjects which are relevant to all of our volunteering roles.

Location : Norwich, Dereham, Wymondham, North Walsham
Contact : volunteering@nchc.nhs.uk

Other details of other NCH&C Volunteer Service roles can be found at https://www.getinvolvednorfolk.org.uk/o/Voluntary-Norfolk—NCHC-Volunteer-Service

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Emergency Department Volunteer

We are looking for resilient individuals to join our Emergency Department team.  This role is designed to support our ED staff to make our patients and visitors feel as comfortable as they can while in the department. 

Duties will include offering directions and information to patients and visitors, including updates on waiting times.  Offering refreshments to patients and relatives, helping to keep the children’s playroom tidy and checking toys are clean and in good working order.  Chatting to patients and relatives to put them at ease as much as possible, raising any concerns to qualified staff. 

Location: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn

Ward Support Volunteer

We are looking for support across a variety of wards with different specialties.  These range from our medical wards to more specialist areas such as our dementia wards. 

This role involves supporting our staff at all times of the day, but most importantly across mealtimes when extra hands are invaluable in getting everyone’s food out to them while it is warm.  Other duties include helping to make sure water jugs are filled, tea and coffee rounds are complete and helping patients complete menu cards.  Offering companionship and comfort to patients is another important part of this role, as well as supporting our staff with deliveries and collections elsewhere in the Trust.

Location: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn

For both roles we ask for one shift of four hours per week as a guide.  We need help in both areas throughout the week and at different times, so can be flexible to suit your availability.

For more information, please call 01553 214687 or 01553 613205

Email VolunteerApplications@qehkl.nhs.uk or visit www.qehkl.nhs.uk – Get Involved

East Coast Community Healthcare/Voluntary Norfolk

Social Support Volunteers at Beccles hospital

Social Support Volunteers at Beccles hospital provide companionship and support to patients on the ward at Beccles Hospital, giving patients the opportunity to chat with someone or to get involved in a shared activity such as a game, jigsaw or craft. The role involves engaging with the patients on the ward and providing basic practical support to staff.

Location: Beccles Hospital

Community Health and Wellbeing Volunteershelp people get back on their feet after an illness or injury.  This might involve providing someone with companionship and conversation, accompanying them out for short walks, driving them out to attend an activity, or offering practical support such as helping with laundry or light cleaning around the home.  Voluntary Norfolk need volunteers to join their bank of community-based volunteers in the Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth and Gorleston areas to respond to requests for this type of support.

Locations: Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth, Gorleston

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

We are looking for volunteers who can empathise with elderly people, have a good sense of humour and are resilient to the challenges of a hospital setting.

Volunteers can literally be a lifeline for some elderly patients, they can sit and chat with those who have no family, offer companionship, confidence and encourage mind stimulating activity sessions which might include arts and crafts, card games, board games and even a sing along!

Nutrition and Hydration: Volunteers are trained by our Speech and language team to assist patients to eat if they lack the dexterity, strength or motivation to feed themselves.

Deconditioning: Volunteers work alongside our OT’s and Physio’s to deliver a “Move to Improve” programme. The project is designed to reduce hospital acquired deconditioning and aims to encourage patients to walk, move to music or carry out simple bedside or armchair exercises.

Dementia: On average 10% of our patients have dementia at any one time and volunteering is an integral part of our dementia strategy. Volunteers complete “This is me” booklets and offer memory stimulating activities and pastoral care.

Location: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital

Contact: 01603 286523 or HELENA.SCOTT@nnuh.nhs.uk