Volunteer with Blythe House Hospicecare or Helen’s Trust

Without our volunteers, Blythe House and Helen’s Trust simply could not function. Our team of over 250 volunteers collectively donate approximately 590 hours of their time to us each week.

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Stock images - Iain Klieve May 2019 (94) small

We’re very fortunate and proud to have a team of over 250 volunteers supporting the hospice on a regular basis. They play an integral and vital role at Blythe House and Helen’s Trust, and their support means that we can spend the maximum amount of money directly on support and care for our patients and their families.

We are very proud of our volunteers. They are important ambassadors for Blythe House and Helen’s Trust in the community and we very much appreciate the time and commitment they give.

We have a wide range of volunteer roles based at the hospice, in our local community, and in our four shops located in Buxton, Chapel-en-le-Frith, New Mills and Whaley Bridge. Our volunteers bring a wide range of skills and experience to the hospice, and many are actively involved in more than one role here. Find out more about our volunteer roles.

What do we look for?

We expect our volunteers to be reliable, empathetic, understanding of the need for strict confidentiality and able to bring life skills and experience to their volunteer role.

What do volunteers get out of it?

Our volunteers aren’t paid but their rewards include knowing that their support is appreciated by patients and staff, and that they are part of a team that makes a real difference to people in our community living with a life-limiting illness, or affected by bereavement.

In addition, we offer free, high quality training relevant to their volunteer role and the opportunity to learn new skills.

Please be aware of the following points:

To become a volunteer in a Blythe House shop you need to be over 16 years old.
To become a volunteer at Blythe House Hospicecare or Helen’s Trust you need to be over 18 years old and able to give a regular, long-term commitment.
We expect our volunteers to be willing to undertake any training required for their role.
Volunteer counsellors and complementary therapists must have recognised qualifications and the relevant experience, knowledge and skills required for their roles. Proof of professional qualifications is required. These roles also demand a firm time commitment.
Police checks are undertaken for all hospice-based volunteer roles and all volunteers are required to provide two satisfactory references.
Given the sometimes difficult demands of volunteering both within, or connected to, a hospice environment, we strongly recommend that clients and former clients only consider volunteering after 12 months has passed since being discharged from our clinical or counselling services. Please refer to our policy on client support for Blythe House for more details. However, there are other ways of supporting Blythe House, please contact us for details.