Volunteering with the NHS is an excellent opportunity to help your own community. It is a rewarding way to dedicate your time to a cause you care about.
Volunteering gives you a sense of satisfaction gained from helping others. You can use your own life or work experience and knowledge to support patients and our staff. You will also meet new people, learn lots of different skills yourself and gain experience of what it would be like to work in the NHS. All of this can boost your own self-esteem and wellbeing as you give back to others.
We train, support and develop our volunteers so they can play a meaningful and valuable role. Whatever your reason for wanting to volunteer we’d love to hear from you.
Volunteering roles
We have a range of volunteering opportunities for you to get involved in, including:
- Use your green fingers and help keep the gardens in bloom
- Be the first face visitors see in meet and greet
- Support those who are coming into our Emegency Departments or support within the department itself helping improve the patient’s experience
- Apply your administrative skills and support wards or departments
- Help make patients’ time in hospital more comfortable in a ward support role
- Record valuable feedback from discharged patients
- Is your pet registered as a therapy pet? Our patients and staff would love to meet you (note: pets must be registered by an appropriate association such as the PAT organisation/Therapy Dogs Nationwide).
- Be creative or use your talents to help support Rehabilitation Activities organised for patients during their recovery journey
- Maybe you can support the Chaplains in providing spiritual, religious and pastoral care to patients, relatives and staff within the Hospitals.
Who can volunteer
Anyone aged 17 (but in their 18th year) and over is able to volunteer whatever their background, ability or experience – everybody has something to share or contribute.
We ask that volunteers are enthusiastic, positive, confident, display empathy, are good listeners and observant. Volunteering is not a short-term commitment, and we ask all volunteers to attend on a regular basis, ideally at least one session per week for a minimum of six months. This ensures that we can create long-lasting and meaningful volunteer roles, ones that truly support our patients and staff.
Please note, volunteering is not the same as work experience. Should you wish to apply for work experience and need further information, please contact our Work Experience team: esh-tr.workexperience@nhs.net
Volunteer recruitment
Our Voluntary Service team support our hospitals: Bexhill Hospital, Conquest Hospital, Eastbourne DGH and Rye, Winchelsea and District Memorial Hospital.
Initially we ask you to complete our enquiry form and then we meet you in person at one of our recruitment sessions.
This session provides the opportunity:
- to ask any questions
- talk through the roles available
- understand the recruitment process
If you would like to be part of our volunteering team, we’d love to hear from you.
