VOLUNTEERS are wanted to help Rugby’s hospital charity to expand its services after a record-breaking year.
The Friends of St Cross has called for new recruits after staff at the hospital asked it to expand its Ward Trolley Service, Mealtime Companion and Patient Visiting Services.
The charity, which delivered a record level of volunteer support at the Hospital of St Cross last year, also needs to fill vacancies in the rotas for some of its other services.
A Friends spokesperson said: “We have agreed to run a second round of the Ward Trolley Service and need a further 15 volunteers to populate the new rota.
“The trolley visits all of the wards and many other departments offering patients and staff the opportunity to buy snacks and papers without the need to walk to the Friends Tea Bar in Out Patients or the Poplar Place restaurant.
“Our Mealtime Companion service needs 10 more volunteers who would like to provide patients with assistance with eating their food – or just need a little bit of encouragement. Not all patients have relatives or friends that are available to give this support. Our team of volunteers help on several of the wards at St Cross.
“Our Patient Visitors offer companionship for patients during their stay in hospital. This can be a very worrying time for patients – they may feel isolated as they are away from home and out of their normal routine.
“To try and help with this, our volunteers will go onto designated wards and talk to patients who have confirmed that they would like a non-clinical listening ear.
“The team now includes two Therapy Dogs and their owners, and we would like to recruit 10 more volunteers for this popular service.”
The Mealtime Companion and Patient Visiting services are delivered every day of the week, while the Ward Trolley Service currently runs from Monday to Friday.
Training is provided for all services which are supported by a team of Service Co-ordinators.
Friends Chair Doug Jones Chair said: “We currently have over 170 volunteers who delivered an average of 10 hours per month. Their support is widely appreciated by patients and staff at The Hospital of St Cross.
“So, if you think you’d be able to help us to help St Cross with the gift of time in a voluntary role, we look forward to hearing from you”.
Visit the ‘For Volunteers’ page at www.fsx.org.uk for more information.
