Volunteering
Volunteers in the Southern Trust enhance the quality of care or service provided to service users. Our team of over 320 volunteers provide extra support to patients, just as friends or family members might do, making the service users’ experience more comfortable and a little friendlier for everyone.
- Why volunteer?
- Who can volunteer?
- Volunteering opportunities
- How to get involved?
- Volunteers Leaflet
Central volunteer service enquiries
Rebekah Lee (Administrator) Tel. 028 3756 3946 rebekah.lee@southerntrust.hscni.net
Volunteers do not carry out (or shadow) clinical work or short-term work experience placements.
Why volunteer?
Volunteering is a way of becoming involved in your local community and the hospital. Volunteers are located 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. 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
- Explore career prospects - gaining valuable experience of working in a hospital or health and social care setting
Who can volunteer?
The Southern Trust welcomes volunteers from all walks of life and represent the diversity of the communities that we serve. We offer a host of opportunities to suit all skills and aspirations.
We would like to hear from you if you are:
- over 16
- good at mixing with people
- enjoy helping others
- want to develop your own skills as an individual.
We ask you to commit to at least one year volunteering with us, so we can create 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
- Support from Volunteer Service Manager/Key Worker
Volunteering opportunities
Current volunteering opportunities across the Trust area include:
Meal Time Support
The volunteers will 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
Fit4U
Volunteers would be required for 2 – 3 hours per week and would provide support and encouragement to service users with physical/sensory disabilities to improve their health through participation in a range of physical activity and leisure opportunities
*NEW! 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 support service users and family with directions to the Triage room and other departments within the Emergency department.
Mandeville Unit
Support and assist patients within the McMillan Unit by meeting and greeting patients and their family; signposting to other areas e.g. Macmillan Hub, canteen or coffee doc; escort patients (if required) to x-ray or pharmacy. Replenish resources such as leaflets.
*NEW! Promoting Wellbeing Hub
Support service users and staff with resources such as booklets, leaflets and other sources of information related to health and wellbeing issues. Signpost to services or training that can help improve health and wellbeing
*NEW! Day Surgery Companion
To provide companionship to patients by listening to them and providing conversation. To support patients after surgery with meal time support. To sign post patient and/or family to other departments within the hospital setting.
Paediatric Centre
To 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.
Day Centres/ Residential Homes
Volunteers are required in a range of centres across the Trust to support activities such as arts and crafts, indoor gardening and meal time support with service users including older people and people with disabilities both physical and learning.
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.
This is a flavour of the volunteering roles on offer, so if you have some spare time and are interested in volunteering you can apply to volunteer by contacting the Central Volunteer Service.
Central volunteer service enquiries
Rebekah Lee (Administrator) Tel. 028 3756 3946 rebekah.lee@southerntrust.hscni.net
How to get involved
Apply to volunteer by contacting the central volunteer service number: (028) 3756 3946. You will be given an appointment to meet with the volunteer coordinator in your area.
Volunteer Pack:
You can download and complete the forms below prior to your appointment.
Application Form
Consent Form
Equality Monitoring Form
Parent/Guardian Consent Form
Volunteer Coordinators’ contact details
Gerardette McVeigh (covering Craigavon & Banbridge)
Tel: 028 3756 3949 Email: gerardette.mcveigh@southerntrust.hscni.net
Kate Johnston (covering Armagh & Dungannon)
Tel: 028 3756 4498 Email: kate.johnston@southerntrust.hscni.net
Donna Sloan (covering Newry & Mourne)
Tel: 028 37566295 Email: donna.sloan@southerntrust.hscni.net
NEWS
Celebrating the amazing work of Volunteers
Volunteering- Annual Reports
SHSCT Volunteer Annual Report 2012-13
SHSCT Final Volunteer Annual Report 2013-14
SHSCT Volunteer Annual Report 2014-15
SHSCT Volunteer Annual Report 2015-16
SHSCT Final Volunteer Annual Report 2016-17
Final SHSCT Volunteer Annual Report 2017-18 @ 31st August 2018