We are delighted to be reinstating some of the Volunteering roles which were stood down in March 2020. The safety of our volunteers and service users is paramount and significant safety protocols have been put in place to allow these roles to open again.
We welcome volunteers from all walks of life and if you have some time to spare and would like to become a Trust Volunteer please contact us for more details or apply using the link below.
Volunteering is a way of becoming more involved in your local community and the hospital. Volunteers are placed across the Trust, participating in a variety of ways all contributing to improving the patient experience. They are an integral part of the Trust and are highly valued by staff, patients, service users and visitors. They have been greatly missed during the pandemic and we are delighted to be welcoming them back. There are lots of reasons why people choose to become a volunteer within the Southern Health & Social Care Trust such as to:
- Give something back to the Trust after you or a family member has been treated here
- Make new friends
- Become an active citizen within your community
- Develop new and useful skills and support your personal development with future job applications, UCAS forms, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and records of achievements
- Gaining valuable experience of working in a hospital or health and social care setting
Why I volunteer?
Egija
Originally from Latvia, Egija has recently joined the volunteering service. Egija began volunteering in our ‘Here to Help’ role at Daisy Hill Hospital in the Autumn. Egija, who is 19 years old, is studying Health and Social care at Southern Regional College and speaks three languages English, Latvian and Russian!
When asked what attracted her to Volunteer with SHSCT Egija commented; “I was led by the fact that I love people, mainly the fact that I always want to talk, listen and help them, and in the future I want to continue activities related to people. Volunteering gives a great experience of getting to know people, and you can also meet new acquaintances from the local community.”
Recognising her Latvian heritage Egija feels that the Trust offers genuine opportunities to all sections of the community and ethnic minority backgrounds. Egija continued: “The trust ensures that services provided to people are fair and accessible to all, and that people are treated as equals and everyone receives the dignity and respect they deserve”.
Khaleda
Originally from Syria, Khaleda has been Volunteering for the Southern Trust for the last two years. Initially Khaelda had trained to Volunteer in Mealtime Support, however due to COVID her role was stood down so she took the opportunity to volunteer for seven months within the vaccination centre in South Lakes Lesiure Centre. More recently, now that the regional vaccination programme has ended, Khaleda has begun volunteering within our ‘Here to Help’ team in CAH.
Khaleda had decided to volunteer because she wanted to ‘give back’ to her local community who have welcomed her and her family into the Craigavon area.
“The reason I volunteer is to be an active and useful member of my community”.
Khaleda also said she would ‘highly recommend’ Volunteering within the Southern Trust to her family and friends.
Recognising her Syrian heritage Khaleda feels that the Trust offers genuine opportunities to all sections of the community and ethnic minority backgrounds. Khaleda continued: “I personally think equality and inclusivity are an important component in the delivery of quality care services within SHSCT. Everyone within volunteering is treated fairly, equally and with dignity and respect”.
The Volunteering Team are currently reinstating various roles across the trust, including Here to Help, Macmillan Support, Drivers and FIT4U.
If you would like to find out more information please contact our Volunteer Coordinators on the numbers below:
Please note: Volunteers do not carry out (or shadow) clinical work or short-term work experience placements. For these placements contact lynn.irwin@southerntrust.hscni.net
Contacts
Central volunteer service enquiries - Rebekah Lee (Administrator)
028 3756 3946
volunteer.service@southerntrust.hscni.netKatrina Lavery
Covering the Newry & Mourne locality
Karen McCabe
Covering the Armagh & Dungannon locality
Aine Mulholland
Covering the Craigavon & Banbridge locality
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Who can volunteer?
The Southern Trust welcomes volunteers from all walks of life and strives to ensure they reflect the diversity of the communities that we serve. We offer a host range of opportunities to suit all skills and aspirations.
We would like to hear from you if you are:
- over 16
- good at interacting with people
- enjoy helping others
- want to develop your own skills as an individual.
We ask that you commit to at least one year volunteering, so we can develop a long-lasting and meaningful role for you. Volunteers can claim out of pocket travel expenses.
Our volunteers are thanked in many ways:
- Awards and Certificates
- Volunteer Recognition Event
- Volunteer Service Manager/KeyWorker
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Volunteering Opportunities
Current volunteering opportunities now reopened for recruitment across the Trust area include:
- Here to Help
Volunteers provide a sign posting service to all people entering into the hospital, providing direction and where needed escorting service users to their destination within the hospital setting.
- Fit4U
Volunteers operate within local leisure centres and would be required for 2 – 3 hours per week. They provide support and encouragement to service users with physical/sensory /learning disabilities helping them to improve their health through participation in a range of physical activity and leisure opportunities.
- Breast Feeding Peer Support Volunteers
Mothers who have experience of breast feeding provide information and support to breast feeding mothers in the community.
Other volunteering roles not yet open include:
- Meet & Greet in the Emergency Department
Volunteers would meet and greet service users in the Emergency department and provide support such as conversation and companionship (if required). The volunteer will also signpost service users and family with directions to the Triage room and other departments within the Emergency department.
- Macmillan Volunteers in the Mandeville Unit
Volunteers support and assist patients within the Macmillan Unit by meeting and greeting patients and their family, signposting to other location such as the Macmillan Hub, Canteen or Coffee Shop, escort patients (if required) to the X-ray Department or pharmacy and replenish resources such as leaflets and information booklets.
- Promoting Wellbeing Hub
Volunteers provide service users, staff and visitors with resources such as leaflets, information booklets and other sources of information related to health and wellbeing. They also signpost to services and training that can help improve health and wellbeing
- Day Surgery Companion
Volunteers provide companionship to patients by engaging them in conversation. They also support patients after surgery during meal times and signpost patients and/or families to other departments within the hospital setting.
- Activity Support Volunteers in the Paediatric Centre
Volunteers support and assist young patients by providing play and distraction to e.g. reading, completing jigsaws, bedside activities such as colouring, word search, dot-to-dot, rhyme time and befriending.
- Activity Support Volunteers in Day Centres/ Residential Homes
Volunteers operate in a range of centres across the Trust assisting older people and those with disabilities with activities such as arts and crafts, indoor gardening and meal time support.
- Meal Time Support
Volunteers offer encouragement and support to hospital patients and service users within a community setting requiring assistance at mealtimes to help them get ready for their meal, to eat and enjoy their food and receive good nutrition
Do you have a particular interest, skill or talent?
If you have a particular area of interest that you would like to volunteer in, tell us about it and we will do our best to explore the options available.
These opportunities provide a flavour of the volunteering roles on offer, so if you have some spare time and are interested in volunteering you can apply by contacting the Central Volunteer Service to organise an appointment: Rebekah Lee (Administrator) Tel. 028 37563946 volunteer.service@southerntrust.hscni.net
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Vacant Volunteering opportunities
We are currently seeking volunteers for the following roles:
- Here to Help in Craigavon Area Hospital
- Here to Help in Daisy Hill Hospital
The Here to Help volunteers are placed in the Foyer of the hospital and the purpose is to meet and greet people coming into the hospital and help them find their way. It is a busy role and maps of the hospital are provided so when people come in looking for clinics, wards, canteen, etc. they can be directed, on occasion some people can be walked to the right place.
- Macmillan Info Pod Volunteer Craigavon Area Hospital
- Macmillan Info Pod Volunteer Daisy Hill Hospital
The Macmillan Info Pod volunteers meet and greet visitors to the Macmillan Info Pod and direct them to appropriate information and resources. They replenish resources in the pod and around the hospital and inform the manager when the resources need reordering
- Volunteer Drivers
Do you live in the Southern Trust Area? Do you drive and have access to a car? Would you have an hour or two free per week?
We need reliable and caring volunteer drivers to help escort a service user to and from their day centre. We particularly need drivers in the Craigavon & Newry areas.
- Application Form
- Volunteer Leaflet and Policy
- News
