Celebrating our amazing volunteers during Volunteers’ Week
13 June 2025
Last year more than 1,000 volunteers spent a combined 35,000 hours supporting our hospitals through a range of tasks including wayfinding, delivering meals, therapy dog visits, collecting medication, accommodating visitors and taking part in activities with patients.
During the week, we organised art tours of our hospitals for our volunteers, posted thank you cards to them, and heard feedback from staff, patients and visitors about the huge and invaluable contributions our volunteers have made.
One staff member said “Thank you to all our volunteers for your support and hard work! You always make sure all patients’ requirements have been satisfied and put smiles on so many faces. You are all an asset to the NHS and your work never goes unnoticed. Bless you all!”
As part of the week’s celebrations, we also held our Summer thank you and awards event to recognise our incredible volunteers. We were delighted to be able to give out length of service awards to our long-standing volunteers, and Make a Difference Awards – nominated by volunteers, Trust staff and members of the public – to those volunteers who’ve gone the extra mile this year.
The volunteers were treated to some tasty food and drinks and had the opportunity for some fun and games with giant Jenga, foosball and pool. They also enjoyed a very popular photobooth that had a long queue for the whole evening.
One of our previous volunteers, who recently started a dentistry course, sent us some heartwarming feedback about her time with the team, highlighting the impact our volunteers have. They told us: "I started as a responder volunteer hoping to make a small difference – I left with a deeper sense of purpose.
“From delivering specimens and supporting physiotherapy sessions, to helping with personal shopping or stepping in whenever needed, every task felt worthwhile. I’ll always remember a patient saying, ‘you volunteers are the heart of the hospital’, a moment that reminded me why this work matters.
“If you’re thinking about volunteering, take the step. You’ll be supported by a great team and become part of something that truly makes a difference."
A huge thank you to our volunteering team for putting the week together, to all the staff at the Trust for supporting our volunteers, and of course to each and every one of our wonderful volunteers for everything they do. You are all stars!
