Time to celebrate the changing face of hospital volunteering this Volunteers Week

Wendy plays piano at the Queen’s Centre, Castle Hill Hospital

Think of hospitals, and most people think doctors and nurses, and yet for many people entering a hospital, one of the first people you’re likely to bump into is a volunteer.

Hospitals across the Humber are full of them, more than 650 in fact, working across Goole, Hull, Grimsby, Castle Hill and Scunthorpe, and that’s not including the four-legged variety!

Their reasons for volunteering are many and varied: some want to share their talents such as Clive and Wendy who play piano each week for patients and visitors to the Queen’s Centre; some want to gain experience to help with a future career in health;, and others, like therapy dog Sammy who volunteers at Scunthorpe General Hospital, are just happy with a quick fuss and a treat.

Yet one thing they all have in common is the support they give to others, each playing an essential but sometimes unseen role in keeping our hospitals running smoothly.

Humber Health Champion, Sam Stockdale, runs tabletop gardening for patients

As we mark the start of Volunteers Week 2025, hospital staff are keen to celebrate the people (and the pups!) who help them help others, and to say thanks for all they do.

Rachael Hardcastle-Pearce, Group Head of Voluntary Services says:

“We consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have more than 650 volunteers working with us across our five hospital sites. Some give a couple of hours a month, some would be here every day if they could, but it’s truly humbling when you consider how many people choose to give up their time for free to help our patients, visitors and staff.

“When you stop to think about the contribution they make, it’s actually incredible. Last year, our volunteers contributed almost 48,000 unpaid hours to our hospitals. But it’s not just the physical help they bring that’s so valuable, it’s their experience, their positivity, their understanding and that willingness to give something back to their community that’s really to be applauded.”

Jasper the therapy dog volunteers at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby

Julie Dobbs, Voluntary Service Manager based at Scunthorpe Hospital says:

“Volunteering has changed a lot over the years, and while there’s still a place for the traditional ward trolley, we’re seeing volunteer contributions in so many different areas now, such as bereavement services, activity classes, gardening and complementary therapies.

“One of the biggest rises in our volunteer workforce of late has been among our young volunteers, the Humber Health Champions. Now constituting almost half of our volunteer workforce, the scheme gives young people aged 16 to 25 the chance to gain work experience, explore different career options, and determine which type of role might interest them or suit them best.

“Taking time to help young people gain that experience is really essential if we’re to help build the next generation of healthcare workers, and it’s fantastic to see how well those young people interact with older generations of patients in particular.

“We really would be lost without all of our volunteers and there’s no better time than now, during Volunteers Week, to say thank you to every single of them.”