Being a Volunteer

An important part of The Christie

Volunteers are an important part of The Christie. Most come in once a week for a few hours although many come in more often.

Their role is to:

  • Free up the time of paid staff - enabling them to carry out the duties for which they qualified
  • Enhance the patients' experience of The Christie by providing services of a non-nursing, non-clinical nature.

We have over 300 volunteers  and the majority are on duty from  9.00 am - 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday.

Their activities include:

Volunteers do not undertake any clinical activities, counselling, one-to-one befriending or spiritual support. Nor do they carry out activities that would normally be carried out by paid staff.

"Look Good... Feel Better"

Helping to improve the quality of life for women living with cancer

Full details about 'Look Good … Feel Better'

"Headstart"

'Headstart' is a free service offered to people who are experiencing hair loss due to treatment. Experienced volunteers give demonstrations and advice on, for instance, how to tie scarves and wear hats. A wide range of scarves, hats and turbans are available for sale and people can be seen individually or in groups on the ward or in our salon.

Full details about 'Headstart'

Ward Duties

Volunteers chat and read to patients as well as carrying out small but vital tasks such as putting a patient's flowers in water and giving out drinks.

May Draper Tea Bar

The tea bar is in the outpatient department and provides light refreshments for patients. Volunteers make the drinks,  serve biscuits and so on .

Gift shop and trolley service

We have a thriving gift shop typically selling a wide range of fancy goods, flowers, greetings cards and confectionery. Volunteers are involved in serving, pricing items and filling displays. Our gift shop also has a trolley service to the wards.

Chapel Escorts

Our spiritual care team holds two non-denominational services of Christian worship a week. Volunteers visit the wards before the services and bring any patients who would like to come. Volunteers are expected to join in with the service, and then take patients back to the wards if necessary. Go to the spiritual page.

Welcomers

When patients first arrive at The Christie for inpatient admission they are greeted by a team of 'welcomers'. These volunteers accompany them to their ward, introduce them to the staff and generally help them feel welcome. This service does not operate in the afternoons or at weekends.

Outpatient Welcomers

Various departments in our hospital have welcomers who greet outpatients, their relatives and friends, when they come for outpatient appointments or treatment. The duties vary slightly between departments but typically involve greeting patients and making sure they are in the right department, showing them where to sit and wait, and where to get refreshments, or getting refreshments for them and running errands. They provide a friendly face to help patients with non-medical aspects of their visit to The Christie. This service does not operate at weekends.

Recreational Activities

Staying in hospital can be very boring particularly for patients who do not feel ill. The hospital has a fully equipped art room, and offers a range of recreational activities such as pottery, glass and china painting, art, flower arranging, and jewellery making - although activities are not all art or craft based. Since many patients are well enough to go home at weekend these activities are only offered on weekdays.

Radiotherapy Refreshment Trolley

Radiotherapy is a very specialised treatment and is only offered at a small number of centres. We have a large radiotherapy department with six separate waiting rooms. Outpatients attend every weekday for several weeks - so a refreshment trolley serves hot and cold drinks and biscuits to patients, relatives and friends.

Contact our Volunteer Service

If you have any questions you wish to ask, or points you wish to raise, about the volunteer service please contact:

Sue RoyleVoluntary Services ManagerTel: 0161 446 3056Mobile: N/A
Alexis DinsmorVoluntary Services ManagerTel: 0161 446 3056Mobile: N/A

How do I become a volunteer?

Below are documents that contain information about voluntary work and an application form.

It is hospital policy not to place volunteers on wards or departments on which they, or a close member of their family, have been treated as patients but they are very welcome elsewhere.

The minimum age for all volunteers is 17 and we ask for at least three months commitment. All applicants must be prepared to supply information for the completion of a criminal records disclosure and if you have a valid CRB please produce this at your interview. Please note that all volunteers must be prepared to attend a one-day induction session and all training sessions in their first three months.

There can often be a waiting list for certain volunteer roles as we have many enquiries. And there is little demand for help in the evenings or weekends as The Christie is developing more outpatient and day case treatments.