Meet the volunteers
At Sheffield Teaching Hospital's we have around 300 active volunteers, aged from 16 to 80+ across 4 hospital sites.
Meet some of them below:
Name: Chris Bexon
Role: Active Response Volunteer
I started as a companion volunteer in November 2017 on the acute stroke unit at the Royal Hallamshire, throughout Covid I was a welcomer and assisted patient flow on the outside phlebotomy unit at the Arena during summer 2020, then at the Covid vaccination unit at the Northern General, Arena and Longley Lane for one year. I spent time in the Jessop Maternity unit helping to enrol patients on to Tommys pathway and now I am an Active Response Volunteer.
The Active Response role enables the volunteers to respond to requests from many different departments and wards, we cover the Royal Hallamshire, Weston Park Hospital, Jessop Wing and Charles Clifford Dental Hospital.
Typical Support tasks would be, Companion to a Patients on ward, Serving meals, Pharmacy runs, running errands, escorting patients to appointments, Simple admin tasks and carrying out Friends & Family surveys. I love the role, it is very varied and you don’t know what you will be doing minute by minute.
In 2016 I had a 3 inch Tumour removed from my head on ward N2 at the Royal Hallamshire, and in 2017 I was treated for thyroid cancer at the Royal Hallamshire and Weston Park.
Had it not been for the care and attention I have received from the Sheffield Teaching Hospital Foundation Trust, I would not be here today. I am truly grateful for the treatment I received and continue to receive.
This is why I volunteer for the trust, it is my thank you!
I have learned that everybody has different circumstances and illnesses, but they all have things in common, they appreciate your care, consideration, compassion and time.
I feel a massive benefit having a different sense of purpose/duty and service, doing it for nothing and enjoying it.
Hyang Sook-Han
I joined the STH Voluntary Services in November 2017 as a mealtime support volunteer and I have also helped in other roles over the years. I now volunteer at the Aseptic Chemotherapy Dispenser Unit at the Weston Park Hospital. My main role is to deliver chemotherapy medication to the wards. I also deliver medication to go to Royal Hallamshire Hospital and Jessop Wing Maternity Hospital
I believe volunteering helps the staff focus on their work and I help to provide a quick delivery service which will allow patients to receive their medication faster.
When I first moved to the UK, I was very grateful to the NHS when I gave birth to my child and I wanted to repay this in some way so I joined as an STH volunteer. I have over the years learnt about the function of the hospital environment and I have been able to interact with many different people within the hospital.
The joy of being able to help someone and being a helpful person is very rewarding. I am delighted and happy to have the opportunity to meet and build relationships with hospital staff, patients and visitors.
Becky Quail
I chose to volunteer as I wanted to give back to the community and help others who need it. I also wanted to gain experience working in a hospital environment, as well develop personal skills and have the opportunity to meet new people.
As COVID-19 has affected so many people, especially people with long term illnesses such as cancer, I wanted to help out at the hospital, giving help in any way that I could.
I volunteer in the Chemotherapy Daycase Unit at the Weston Park Hospital. My volunteering role involves serving food and drinks to patients as well as chatting with patients. This helps to make them more comfortable and comforting when receiving chemotherapy treatment. I also help with providing patients with anything that they ask for, such as food or hot drinks.
I also support staff by helping with simple admin tasks to relieve their workload and this gives them more time to care for patients
The main thing I have learnt whilst volunteering is how to work in a hospital environment, particularly on a chemotherapy ward. I had never worked in a hospital environment before, and it has allowed me to develop personal skills such as compassion, empathy, and communication.
The best thing about being a volunteer is the relationships you form with patients and staff. You have the opportunity to talk to a wide range of people, which can be very rewarding.
Name: Annie Fonseca
Role: Welcomer RHH Floor A and B
Having semi-retired from full time work in 2019 I was keen to keep busy, and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals was my first choice as I wanted to support my local community. The opportunity to do something completely different, meet a diverse range of group of people and feel I was making a difference. The range of volunteering opportunities at STH are varied and the chance to work in a new environment, learn new skills was attractive to me.
I am a Welcomer volunteer, and we are often the first point of contact for many patients and visitors. Patients and visitors appreciate a cheery welcome and smile and offer of help if required. Many need signposting or support to get to clinical areas, as they are running late, nervous, or unfamiliar with the hospital layout. I also provide information about hospital facilities, finding wheelchairs and occasionally solving problems with unusual enquiries.
Volunteering gives me a sense of purpose and helps me connect to my local community. I interact with a wide range of people from all walks of life and spending a few minutes with a patient /visitor can help them have a positive hospital experience which is very rewarding. Working together with other volunteers is a great way to make new friends.
