Jane began volunteering at Blythe House in January 2017, following her retirement from a long and successful career as a social worker.
Jane had previously accessed care and support at the hospice in 2013, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and says that she ‘got a lot of benefit’ from doing so.
After undergoing extensive surgery and treatment, Jane was able to go back to full-time work.
A few years later, an opportunity arose for Jane to take early retirement, and she decided, after everything she’d been through, that life is too short, and she took the offer.
After settling down into retirement for a few months and getting used to her new routine, Jane got in touch with the hospice to offer her support as a volunteer.
Jane, who’s from Chinley, explained: ‘At first I was a befriender during patient day care services. I would meet and chat to patients, offer refreshments, and sometimes help out in the kitchen to make and serve lunches. Then, I’d support the afternoon groups facilitated by the hospice nurses.
‘When the Community Volunteer programme launched, I very much wanted to get involved, and I was one of the first community volunteers to go through training. I visited people in their homes, picked up shopping and prescriptions, and took people to hospital and doctor’s appointments. Then Covid-19 hit, and I continued to support local patients in-line with the ongoing rules and guidance.
‘I then became quite interested in reception duties, and liked the idea of meeting patients and visitors at the hospice; answering the phone and problem solving. I love the buzz of people coming in and out, helping with telephone queries and liaising with staff to support our patients. I sometimes stay on into the afternoon to help with the social peer support sessions by hosting a quiz or doing some baking.
‘I feel I bring good transferrable skills from my career which help me in my role; and I hope that because of my experiences, I am able to relate to patients who can often be frightened coming to the hospice, by chatting to them and putting them at ease.
‘I love being part of the hospice team; I don’t miss working full-time, but I did miss being part of a team, and I definitely get that feeling of team-work and fulfilment here.
‘I feel valued and supported in my role, and I am treated with respect. The team is always on hand to answer my queries and I always feel listened to, and never dismissed.
‘The hospice really is a great place to volunteer; you are well supported and well trained. It is a really enjoyable place to be; I feel I have a lot of purpose after my retirement and it gives me structure to my week. It’s also a real privilege to know you’re giving something back, and doing something for other people.’
Find out more about the range of volunteering roles at Blythe House and Helen’s Trust.
