A recruitment drive is underway for hundreds of hospital volunteers, after fewer signed up than expected this year and many opportunities are still available.
Addenbrooke’s Voluntary Services is one of seven partnership organisations putting on displays between 11am and 2pm at the Deakin Centre on Saturday June 3rd, next to car park one, aimed at creating interest and answering questions.
Voluntary service manager Maggie Brown, who saw volunteer support trail off following Covid, is keen to double volunteer numbers to 400 people at Addebrooke’s and the Rosie. After launching a recruitment drive in January, the team are still short of their target.
She and her team will be highlighting a myriad of opportunities for adults to get involved and programmes for 16 to 18-year-olds, which they can focus on during the school holidays and beyond.
Volunteers provide an essential service directing visitors around the vast Trust, helping on the wards, working in outpatients, marshalling traffic, and even working as dementia champions with frail patients.
Maggie said
Volunteering is a great way to polish skills such as communication, empathy and teamwork. There is no upper age limit on who can get involved and it is a great way to stay fit, make new friends and give something back to the community.
Maggie Brown
Others looking for support on the day will be Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), St John Ambulance, Royal Voluntary Service (RVS), Addenbrooke’s Liver Transplant Association (ALTA), the CUH Chaplaincy, and the Soldiers', Sailors', and Airmen's Families Association (SSAFA).
The event is part of national Volunteers’ Week, which takes place between 1 and 7 June to celebrate and thank all kinds of volunteers for their work.
Anyone who is interested in becoming a volunteer should visit the Trust’s dedicated web pages (opens in a new tab). More opportunities at Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (opens in a new tab); Addenbrooke’s Liver Transplant Association (opens in a new tab); Royal Voluntary Service (opens in a new tab); St John Ambulance (opens in a new tab) and the Soldiers', Sailors', and Airmen's Families Association (opens in a new tab).