Volunteers help to improve and enhance the patient experience, complementing the work of employed staff across the hospital and making a positive difference.

About volunteering

Volunteering at Gloucestershire Hospitals gives you the chance to support your local health service by offering safe and compassionate care and support to our patients. Our volunteers come from all walks of life and we aim to represent the diversity of our communities. Our volunteers are passionate about improving patient experience and are part of the Gloucestershire Hospitals team.

We are developing our volunteer base and we aim to increase the number of volunteers we work with. We recognise the positive impact volunteering makes on our patients and our Trust.

Those who volunteer have said it's helped improve their self-confidence and motivation. They feel they are making a valuable contribution to their community and this has a positive impact on their own physical and mental wellbeing.

In return for their time and dedication, we provide our volunteers with opportunities to build skills, meet new people and truly make a difference.

Current vacancies

Whilst our volunteers help us in a variety of ways we are currently recruiting volunteers in the following areas:

  • Ward Helpers
  • Emergency Department
  • Wayfinding
  • Outpatient areas
  • Day Case Departments
  • Nursery
  • Gardening
Information:

How to apply

More information on how to apply and the application process is available here.

What are we looking for in a volunteer?

We can offer you a great opportunity to give something back to your local community. However, hospitals can be very challenging environments. They are busy places that care for sick and critically ill patients and their families which at times could be distressing.

Therefore, to be a volunteer you need to be able to commit to the role fully and ensure you are the right type of person to volunteer in a hospital environment. There is a wide variety of roles as a volunteer so we believe we can match you to the right type of role for you.

Volunteers need to be:

  • Friendly and approachable
  • Caring and good listeners
  • Comfortable approaching people to offer help
  • Able to work independently and use initiative after an initial training period
  • Emotionally mature and able to stay calm in difficult situations
  • Adaptable
  • Able to offer a regular weekly commitment of 3-4 hours for a minimum period of at least six months.
  • Dependable

Volunteer responsibilities

Each role has a specific list of duties that the volunteer can undertake, however, all volunteers should also:

  • Be polite, courteous and respectful to others
  • Wear the Trust volunteer ID badge and uniform appropriately
  • Adhere to the volunteer agreement
  • Promote a positive image of the hospital, staff and voluntary services
  • Uphold the values of the Trust

Contact us

If you have any questions or require further information on completing the online application form, please contact the Voluntary Services team.

Karen Wheeldon, Voluntary Services Manager or Emma Price, Voluntary Services Administrator

Voluntary Services Department

Gloucestershire Royal Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Great Western Road

Gloucester, GL1 3NN

Telephone: 0300 422 6648 or 3451

Email: ghn-tr.voluntaryservices@nhs.net

Are you looking for work experience?

Volunteering is not the same as work experience. If you are interested in work experience or career opportunities please contact:-

For Apprenticeships enquiries – ghn-tr.apprenticeships@nhs.net

For Careers enquiries (including work experience/traineeships – ghn-tr.careers@nhs.net