St Clare Hospice in Hastingwood is calling for volunteers to help people receiving end-of-life care.

Barbara Read, who lives in Dunmow, signed up to volunteer after she retired, and says that volunteering has boosted her wellbeing and given her a sense of fulfilment.

She volunteers at St Clare's Inpatient Unit (IPU), helping to provide compassionate care and support to patient alongside the hospice's clinical team.

Barbara said: "I volunteer at St Clare as I had a friend who was cared for here.

"It was my first visit to a hospice and I was really impressed. I made up my mind there and then that when I retired I would look into the possibility of helping in the IPU.

"I enjoy meeting people and do my best to put them at ease. The most rewarding part of my role in IPU is making someone smile.

"I feel privileged to be part of the team here. Volunteering is very rewarding. After every shift I feel that I have done something good today."

Barbara features in a new film promoting the variety of roles available at the hospice and highlighting the valuable work of volunteers.

The film can be viewed at stclarehospice.org.uk/volunteer-with-us.

St Clare’s volunteer development manager Stacey Towler said: "From hitting the streets with our collection buckets, to supporting someone with dementia, our volunteers are at the heart of everything we do here at the Hospice – and we are always on the lookout for new people to join our volunteer community.

"Volunteering for St Clare is not only rewarding, but it’s a lot of fun and flexible too. No matter your background, skills or experience, we’re confident we can find a volunteer role for you."

The hospice is currently looking for people to fill the following volunteer roles:

  • · Compassionate Neighbours to offer companionship to the lonely and frail
  • · Dementia Support volunteers to provide one-to-one support to people with advanced dementia in their own home
  • · GriefLine call handlers to offer emotional support and a listening ear to the bereaved
  • · Bucket collection volunteers to collect cash donations from the public
  • · Café Clare facilitators to welcome people to the Hospice’s weekly coffee mornings
  • · Men’s Shed supervisors to provide safe, practical hands-on sessions in the Men’s Shed
  • · Dementia-friendly gardeners to support people with dementia to potter, plant and grow
  • · Retail and e-commerce volunteers

Details of the volunteer opportunities are available at stclarehospice.org.uk/volunteervacancies.

You can also book a session at St Clare's Volunteer Recruitment Day at stclarehospice.org.uk/event/volunteerrecruitment.

The recruitment day will be held at the hospice on Saturday, October 19, with sessions at 10.30am and midday.

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Attendees can meet the volunteer development team and learn more about the roles available/

St Clare Hospice provides specialist palliative care for people living with terminal or life-limiting illnesses across West Essex and the East Herts border.

The charity relies on volunteers to help run its services, and - with limited NHS funding - relies on money from donations and other voluntary sources.