Two Black Country Trusts are celebrating Volunteers’ Week as they recognise the efforts and invaluable contributions of hundreds who support their local communities.
This year marks the 39th year of Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June) and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust are among thousands of charities and organisations acknowledging those who make a difference.
At RWT and Walsall Healthcare, a total of 270 volunteers are making a positive impact on patient care as well as supporting teams. From driving scooters to help patients with mobility issues get to their appointments to assisting with patients’ mealtimes, they carry out a variety of roles across hospitals and community services.
Andrew Rice, Patient Experience and Voluntary Services Manager at Walsall Healthcare, said: “Volunteers’ Week is always an exciting time at the Trust, and even more so this year, as it is around the same time as our annual volunteer awards.
“This year we will be sharing some amazing volunteer stories that have come from the past 12 months.”
Andy said that Walsall Healthcare has seen an influx of younger volunteers at the Manor Hospital and is rewarding to see them grow in their roles.
“Our partnerships with Juniper training, Walsall College, and St Johns NHS Cadets, illustrate the great work our young people are doing.”
Ashleigh Key, Volunteer Coordinator at RWT, joined the Trust in July 2022 and is very much new to the role. Not only has she been instrumental in onboarding volunteers and setting up a structured recruitment process, but she has improved equal opportunities for volunteering and has worked collaboratively with The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Charity and Arts in Heritage Team to relaunch the Arts in Health Programme. This aids the recovery of patients with neurological trauma at West Park Hospital.
“National Volunteers’ Week is a time for us to celebrate the incredible contributions that our volunteers make to the Trust every single day. They give up their own free time to help support our staff with the delivery of our services, as well as enhancing the patient experience,” she said.
“We are so grateful for their continued support, and we hope people join us this week in celebrating their hard work and dedication to our Trust.”
Could you be a volunteer? To find out more, visit: https://www.royalwolverhampton.nhs.uk/join-team-rwt/volunteers/ (RWT) or https://www.walsallhealthcare.nhs.uk/work-with-us/volunteering/ (Walsall Healthcare)