Volunteer Roles and Vacancies

Our Chemo Support volunteers help with supporting day patients at Lymington Hospital, organising refreshments, meals for patients to take home, and offering a friendly chat. This is a rewarding role that can make a difference to someone undergoing chemo treatment.

“I feel my role in the chemo unit is incredibly rewarding and I see it as a privilege to be in a position to give my support and understanding to those patients when they are at their most vulnerable if I can make an unpleasant experience just a little more bearable then I feel I have achieved a great deal.”

What’s involved?

• Collecting meals from the Oakhaven Hospice kitchen and transporting to Lymington Hospital
• Serving drinks and meals to patients
• Engaging with patients throughout the day
• Taking orders for frozen meals for patients to take home
• Keeping food and drinks area clean and tidy

You’ll be

• Be a compassionate listener
• Have excellent communication and organisational skills
• Understand patient confidentiality
• Have emotional resilience
• Be able to follow policies and procedures

We’ll provide

• Appropriate training, online and in the classroom
• Support from the Volunteer Services Team
• Volunteering Handbook

The role of the Hospice Neighbour is to come alongside a referred person and support them in the way they would help a friend or neighbour. This may include helping with practical tasks, helping the person re-engage with their local community, or simply offering companionship and a listening ear.

“Since becoming a neighbour I’ve been helping one family; being someone to talk to, help out with doctor’s appointments, share a cuppa and cake and doing a little bit of shopping especially as things have been tricky with Covid.

They are small things, but to the family they can make a huge difference.  Just like everyone, my life has been touched by illness, and it is a good thing to know that I can give something which is worthwhile and may just make life a little easier for those who have a much bigger fight on their hands.  Helping others makes me happy and gives extra meaning to my life too.” J Hospice Neighbour

What’s involved?

• You will be matched to a suitable person, based on skills, location and the person’s needs
• Following that introduction, continue contact and support for the person as mutually agreed
• Building a relationship, visits, trips out for coffee, collecting shopping, gardening, dog walking etc.
• Keeping the Area Team Leader aware of any developments or concerns with your person
• Keeping the Area Team Leader updated regarding how much time you’ve spent with your person for reporting purposes
• Attending informal get-togethers with your area team for support

You’ll be

• A compassionate listener
• Have excellent communication and organisational skills
• Understand patient confidentiality
• Have emotional resilience
• Able to follow policies and procedures

We’ll provide

• Appropriate training, classroom based, online and experiential
• Support from the Hospice Neighbours Coordinator and Volunteer Services Team
• Volunteering Handbook and Role Profile
• Regular support meetings

The Coates Centre is a drop-in for anybody whose life is impacted by life-limiting illness. It also offers a range of support groups, wellbeing activities and social gatherings

“The best thing about being a volunteer is the feeling you get when you know you’ve made a small difference to someone’s day, who is going through a difficult time in their life. I’ve met some truly remarkable people who have had an impact on my life”

What’s involved?

• Preparing the Coates Centre for visitors, organising refreshments, checking tidiness and cleanliness.
• Preparing rooms for activities and groups
• Greeting visitors to the Coates Centre and making them feel welcome
• Answering the telephone, taking bookings and messages
• Offer a cuppa and a chat

You’ll be

• Be a compassionate listener
• Have excellent communication and organisational skills
• Understand patient confidentiality
• Have emotional resilience
• Be able to follow policies and procedures

We’ll provide

• Appropriate training, online and in the classroom
• Support from the Volunteer Services Team
• Volunteering Handbook and Role Profile

We provide complementary therapies to patients, carers and bereaved relatives. If you have no qualifications in this area but are interested in supporting our team, we will train you to provide hand and foot massage.

“To volunteer there gives me the satisfaction that I use new skills to make a difference to the lives of people who are going through a very difficult time”

What’s involved?

• Learning about hand and foot massage
• Preparing for each client – room, relevant information
• Providing hand and foot massage
• Ensuring cleanliness and tidiness of treatment room

You’ll be

• Be a compassionate listener
• Have excellent communication and organisational skills
• Understand patient confidentiality
• Have emotional resilience
• Be able to follow policies and procedures

We’ll provide

• Bespoke training for the role
• Appropriate training, online and in the classroom
• Support and mentoring from the Complementary Therapy Team
• Support from the Volunteer Services Team
• Volunteering Handbook and Role Profile

Oakhaven has nine retail shops across the area, along with warehouse facilities. We receive generous donations which need to be sorted and prepared for sale, which means retail volunteers are in high demand!

We need volunteers to support our retail operations in our shops, where customers are searching for bargains to support Oakhaven.

“At the end of every shift I feel as though I have contributed to the running of the hospice. Every time a customer brings in a donation and states that they wanted to bring it to Oakhaven because they believe and support the hospice, it make me feel like I am doing something worthwhile”

What’s involved?

• Welcoming customers into our shops and giving them a great experience
• Helping to sort donations and prepare items for sale
• Using the till (with training)
• Helping to keep the shop tidy, clean and looking great

You’ll be

• Friendly, positive and caring
• Good with people and enjoy meeting new people
• Be able to follow policies and procedures

We’ll provide

• Training for the role
• Appropriate training, online and in the classroom
• Support from the Volunteer Services Team and the Retail Management
• Volunteering Handbook and Role Profile

If you’re interested in volunteering in one of our retail shops and helping us to raise money to support Oakhaven, pop along to your local Oakhaven retail shop for a chat with the manager and arrange to have a taster session.