Volunteer Roles and Vacancies
Why volunteer?
Our volunteers are simply amazing: they give their time and energy to support Oakhaven, bringing a wealth of experience along with their commitment in wanting to help others and make a difference.
We are always looking for new people to join our team and here are a few of the reasons why giving the gift of time to Oakhaven can be a rewarding experience.
- Give something back to an organisation that has helped your family or friends
- Make a difference to people who are at the end of life
- Provide a listening ear to someone who is going through a difficult time
- Feel valued
- Meet new people
- Gain new skills, knowledge and experience
- Use your existing skills and knowledge to help others
- Become part of the Oakhaven family
We are eternally thankful to all our volunteers who have given and continue to give their time to support Oakhaven and its community.
Volunteering Roles
When people ask what they could do as a volunteer, the short answer is: almost anything. Volunteers support our work in every department. Some volunteers support the people and families we care for, others welcome visitors to Oakhaven, and some help in administrative roles. A large number work in our shops, whilst others assist on an occasional basis with fundraising activities.
If volunteering sounds right for you take a look through some of the roles to see how you could make a difference to the Oakhaven community.
Our current volunteer vacancies
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.
The Inpatient Unit is where our patients come for more specialist palliative care. They may come for symptom management, short term care, or they may spend their final days with us on the Ward.
The Ward volunteer provides non-clinical support to the Ward staff by welcoming visitors, and performing various practical tasks, such as serving meals.
What's involved?
- Welcoming patients, families and visitors to the hospice
- Serving drinks and meals to patients
- Taking care of flowers and arrangements
- Being part of the IPU Ward team
You'll be
- Compassionate, empathetic and kind with everybody, remembering that this may be a difficult time in their life
- Aware of boundaries and how to respect them
- Be able to follow policies and procedures
We'll provide
- Practical training with an experienced volunteer
- Appropriate classroom and online training
- Support from the Volunteer Services Team
- Volunteering Handbook and Role Profile
If you're interested in this role, please contact Kathryn Marsh, 01590 646447 for information or apply online using the link below.
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
If you're interested in this role, please contact Kathryn Marsh, 01590 646447 for information or apply online using the link below.
The Day Hospice provides clinical care, social interaction, activities and holistic support to Oakhaven patients who come to the Hospice as day patients. The Day Hospice volunteer provides non-clinical support to the Day Hospice staff by welcoming those coming to the Hospice, engaging with patients and preforming various practical tasks such as making drinks and serving meals.
What's involved?
- Welcoming patients on arrival
- Serving drinks and lunch to the patients
- Preparing and clearing the dining area for the patients
- Being part of the Day Hospice team
You'll be
- Compassionate and kind with everybody, remembering that this may be a difficult time in their life
- Aware of boundaries and how to respect them
- Be able to follow policies and procedures, especially relating to patient care and safety
We'll provide
- Practical training with an experienced volunteer
- Appropriate classroom based training and online modules
- Support from the Volunteer Service team
- Volunteering handbook and Role Profile
If you're interested in this role, please contact Kathryn Marsh, 01590 646447 for information or apply online using the link below.
There are two reception desks at Oakhaven Hospice, one in the Day Hospice and the other in the Inpatient Unit. Both involve meeting and greeting visitors, families, deliveries, healthcare professionals and anybody who comes to our doors. There's also the telephone to answer and queries to solve. As front of house, it's a key volunteer role in support of Oakhaven.
What's involved?
- Welcoming patients, families and all visitors to the Hospice
- Answering the telephone (the IPU reception has the main telephone line for the hospice) and dealing with all callers in a helpful and efficient way
- Accurately recording messages and passing on
- Accepting and signing for deliveries
- Dealing with donations of money or items and the return of equipment
You'll be
- Compassionate and kind with everybody, remembering that this may be a difficult time in their life
- Aware of boundaries and how to respect them
- Flexible and willing to undertake appropriate additional tasks if needed
We'll provide
- Practical training with an experienced volunteer
- Appropriate classroom based training and online modules
- Support from the Volunteer Service team
- Volunteering handbook and Role Profile
If you're interested in this role, please contact Kathryn Marsh, 01590 646447 for information or apply online using the link below.
Our Day Hospice offers our patients the chance to come to Oakhaven for a day, meet other people, socialise and have a homecooked lunch. Our staff also provide support, care and understanding. Our volunteer drivers play an important role in transporting the patients to the Day Hospice, then home again in the afternoon.
“My wife convinced me to volunteer after her wonderful experience there. I didn’t want to as I thought it would be a depressing place, but how wrong I could be. Oakhaven is an uplifting, caring and wonderful place to volunteer”
What’s involved?
- Confirming and arranging details of patient transfer with Day Hospice staff
- Confirming and checking transport details with patient/carer
- Transporting patients to and from Day Hospice
You’ll be
- A compassionate listener
- Have good communication and organisational skills
- A good driver
- Be able to follow policies and procedures
We’ll provide
- Standard training, online and in the classroom
- Specific training for the role
- Support from the Volunteer Services Team
You’ll also need to be willing to attend the Hampshire County Council Driver Skills Scheme for a driving assessment.
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 Complementary Therapy Team provide a range of treatments to aid relaxation and symptom management to patients and members of their families in the Inpatient Unit, Day Hospice and by booked appointments.
We are looking for qualified Complementary Therapists to join the team as volunteers. You can make a real difference to the wellbeing of our patients by using your professional skills, along with empathy and compassion. We aim to make every moment matter and you can help us with that ambition.
What’s involved?
- Providing a range of complementary therapy treatments within the boundaries of individual skill, training and qualifications
- Working holistically as part of the multi disciplinary Complementary Therapy Team
- Documentation of complementary therapy treatment for each patient/client
You’ll be
- Compassionate and kind with everybody, remembering that this may be a difficult time in their lives
- Aware of boundaries and how to respect them
- Empathetic, professional and safe in your approach
Qualifications
- A recognised Complementary qualification
- A professional indemnity insurance of a minimum of £1,000,000
- Membership of a professional body
- Evidence of continuing professional development
We’ll provide
- Training for the role and ongoing supervision
- Support from the Complementary Therapy Coordinator and Volunteer Services Coordinator
- Volunteer handbook and induction training
- Uniform
If you’re interested in this role, please contact Sally Woods 01590 670346 or Kathryn Marsh 01590 646447 for information, or apply online using the link below.
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
If you’re interested in this role, please contact Sally Woods 01590 670346 or Kathryn Marsh 01590 646447 for information, or apply online using the link below.
Volunteering FAQs
If you have any questions please visit our Volunteering Frequently Asked Questions
