Celebrating National Volunteers Week
QUEENSCOURT’S Volunteers are vital members of #teamqueenscourt, and for over 30 years now they have been instrumental in helping us to deliver compassionate care for thousands of local people with lifelimiting illnesses.
National Volunteers’ Week runs each year between the June 1-7 and is an opportunity for us to say thank you to all of our wonderful Volunteers for their continuing support.
Our celebrations this year are made all the more special as, last August, our Volunteers were awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service - the highest honour that a voluntary group in the UK can receive, and the equivalent of a volunteering MBE. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication shown by all of our Volunteers, past and present.
We are constantly humbled by our Volunteers’ enthusiasm and commitment to Queenscourt, and how much time they are willing to dedicate to our charity.
In the 12 months prior to the pandemic, our volunteers committed to 104,000 hours of volunteering at the hospice.
Like so many others, Queenscourt has had to adapt to working within a pandemic, and this has included making changes to the sort of roles that our Volunteers did for us previously.
We are so grateful that our Volunteers have adapted with us, and are willing to take on different roles than they might have done before.
As part of our celebrations for National Volunteers Week 2022, we will be welcoming our volunteers for a two-day event in the grounds of Queenscourt for “tea and cakes, and a good catch up” on June 6 and 7.
Amanda Bradley, HR and Volunteering Manager at Queenscourt, said: “We want to thank our amazing Volunteers for all that they have done, and continue to do, for us - we cannot thank them enough, and this is just a small way to help us to do that.
“Our Volunteers have championed #teamqueenscourt unfailingly throughout the pandemic, and some of them even redirected their time towards fundraising for Queenscourt, when they weren’t able to support us as a Volunteer.
“Queenscourt has seen many changes throughout the past two years particularly, and the fantastic ongoing support of our Volunteers enables #teamqueenscourt to continue providing exceptional palliative care for people across West Lancashire, Southport and Formby, when they need us the most.”
Louise Carruthers is one of our wonderful reception volunteers, she told us: “My Dad began attending Queenscourt as a Day Therapy patient, following review by Dr Groves. I cannot begin to describe how impressed my Mum and I were, as we were both taken aback by the improvements in him.
“Dad absolutely loved Queenscourt, and used to really enjoy the activities, particularly the arts and crafts. Mum and I still have many little gifts that he made us.
“Following this, in 2018, I decided to volunteer as a receptionist at Queenscourt as a way of ‘giving something back’ for everything that was done for Dad.
“Sadly, Dad passed away in 2019, but I’ve continued in the role, as it is a privilege to be working alongside the amazing staff to provide a wonderful service to patients and their significant others”.
Queenscourt Hospice is currently looking for a number of volunteers, particularly Gardening and Retail Volunteers.
If you would like to help support #teamqueenscourt by becoming a Volunteer, please contact the Volunteering Team on 01704 544 645 for a chat about the roles, or email volunteers@queenscourt.org.uk.
You can find more information about Queenscourt Hospice on our website www. queenscourt.org.uk
Throughout National Volunteers’ Week you can also get an insight into what our current Volunteers are doing, so please look out for these articles on our Facebook @ QueenscourtHospiceSouthport , Twitter @QCHospice and Instagram @queenscourthospice