Volunteer

Volunteer for us

Whether you’re looking to learn new skills, meet new people, or give back, volunteering with Willen Hospice offers a unique and rewarding way to do all three.

Find a role that fits your time, skills, or team

Make a difference in your community

We couldn’t provide the care and support our patients and their families need without the incredible dedication of our volunteers. Whether it’s offering a warm welcome on our In-Patient Unit, serving customers in our shops, raising funds at events, or getting involved as part of a workplace team—every volunteer plays a vital role.

If you have time to give, skills to share, or want to be part of something that truly makes a difference in our community, we’d love to help you find the right opportunity. Whether you’re an individual or part of an organisation, we’d love to hear from you. 

Whether you’re passionate about retail, patient care, fundraising, or corporate involvement, we have a range of roles that make a real impact at Willen Hospice. Explore our four key areas of volunteering below.

Volunteer in retail operations

Volunteer in our shops, warehouse and distribution.

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Volunteer in fundraising

Volunteer in our community and help us fundraise to ensure we can continue to care for local families.

Learn more

Volunteer at the Hospice

Find out more about volunteering at the Hospice and be at the very heart of our charity.

Learn more

Corporate Volunteering

Put your volunteering days at work to good use and join us to volunteer as a team.

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We're here to help

If you’ve never volunteered before, you might be unsure around how you can help. Our friendly People Services team are here to answer all your questions and help you find the role that’s right for you.

We will try to find a role that matches your availability, whether that’s regular hours weekly, monthly or ad hoc. Please also let us know if you have any particular interests, experience or a specialist skill that you’d like to put to good use.

Benefits of volunteering

Gifting your time is one of the best ways you can support the hospice. In return for your time, volunteering at Willen can offer many benefits to you.

Sense of fulfilment

Volunteering often provides a sense of purpose by giving back to a cause close to your heart. It can be immensely satisfying to know that you’re making a positive difference in the lives of others.

Skill development

Volunteering can provide opportunities to develop and enhance various skills, such as communication, leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork. Many volunteer positions offer training and hands-on experience that can be valuable both personally and professionally.

Networking

Volunteering allows you to connect with like-minded people who share your passion for the hospice. These connections can lead to friendships, mentorship opportunities, and even potential career prospects.

Improved mental and physical health

Many volunteers acknowledge positive effects on both mental and physical health. It can reduce stress, combat feelings of loneliness and depression, and increase overall happiness with many reporting they feel more content with their lives as a result of their volunteer work. Helping others and giving back can create a sense of joy and gratitude that enhances overall well-being.

Enhanced career prospects

Volunteering experience can bolster your CV by demonstrating qualities such as commitment, compassion, and initiative. It can also provide concrete examples of skills and experiences that may be attractive to potential employers or educational institutions.

Community engagement

Many volunteering roles help you become more engaged and connected to your local community. By working together with others towards our mission, volunteers help us create a more compassionate society.

Frequently asked questions

With our broad range of volunteering roles, we have a role for almost everybody! You may have regular time to give each week, a block of time away from work, or prefer to volunteer on an ad-hoc basis at our events.

We have age restrictions in place to support our younger volunteers. For our Duke of Edinburgh volunteers, we have a minimum age of 14 (or school year 9). ** Hangout/Kiln Farn/WH Select 16 ** For those wishing to volunteer with our clinical teams, we have a minimum age of 17.

We can help you find a volunteering role that fits in with your current committments. For those wishing to volunteer in our clinical teams or shops, we would be looking for a regular commitment each week of 2-4 hours.

If you don’t have that much time to give to volunteering with us, you could support us by volunteering at one of our events.

We have a variety of roles available across all areas of the Hospice. Our popular volunteering roles include retail assistant, IPU ward support, reception and gardener. However, please do get in touch with us if you have skills or experience that you feel would be of value to us and we can discuss a bespoke volunteering role for you.

All volunteers are required to complete a selection of mandatory training modules to ensure your safety and that of your colleagues. In addition, you will receive any ‘on the job training’ as required to support you in your role.

To apply for a volunteering role, please browse our volunteering roles (link to jobs board). If you’d like more information or are unsure what role to apply for, please contact us on volservices@willenhospice.org.uk  or call 01908 663 636 and we can discuss this further with you.

As part of your application we will ask you to provide a referee who can provide us with a reference. Depending on the nature of your role, we may also carry out a check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). We aim to process your volunteering application as soon as possible.