“Volunteers don’t get paid because they are worthless but because they are priceless”
Sherry Anderson
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Western Health andSocial Care Trust. Volunteers play an important role within our services, working in a variety of departments alongside our staff and helping to enhance the patient and visitor experience to our hospitals and community settings.
Volunteering is an excellent opportunity to help your own community and is a rewarding way to dedicate your time to a cause you care about. Through volunteering you can develop new skills, achieve personal goals, take on a different challenge and develop friendships.
We welcome volunteer enquiries from anyone who is at least 16 years old and has time to give on a regular basis, even one morning or afternoon per week can make a real difference. Volunteer roles are available in each of our hospital sites in Altnagelvin, Omagh and Enniskillen and across many of our community services.
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How do I become a volunteer?
You need to complete a registration pack. This includes details of two people that can provide a character reference and a Health Declaration form. We can accept your completed and signed forms either as scanned copies via email or posted to our office address. Some roles will also require an Enhanced Access NI check.
Once we have received your completed forms, we will discuss our current volunteer vacancies with you and will help you choose which volunteer role is most appropriate to you, based on your interests, skills and experience.
We will invite you to attend a volunteer induction session prior to introducing you to your volunteer role and the ward or service where you will be placed.
To request our current Volunteer Registration pack please email volunteering@westerntrust.hscni.net
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Meet the Team
Our Volunteering and Work Experience team are on hand to guide you through the volunteer recruitment process and assist to make it as straight forward as possible.
Geoff Hunter
Geoff Hunter
Volunteering and Work Experience Manager
Altnagelvin Hospital
Geoffrey.Hunter@westerntrust.hscni.netWendy Doherty
Wendy Doherty
Volunteering and Work Experience Co-ordinator
Altnagelvin Hospital
Wendy.Doherty@westerntrust.hscni.netMichelle Thompson
Michelle Thompson
Volunteering and Work Experience Officer
Omagh Hospital & Primary Care Complex
Michelle.Thompson@westerntrust.hscni.netStacey Clarke
Stacey Clarke
Volunteering and Work Experience Officer
South West Acute Hospital
Stacey.Clarke@westerntrust.hscni.net -
Volunteering Roles
We have a diverse range of volunteer roles across each of our hospital sites in Altnagelvin, Omagh and Enniskillen as well as many of our and community services.
Current volunteer roles include;
- Meet and Greet
- Wayfinding
- Mealtime Friend
- Ward Helper
- Macmillan Information Service
- Day Centre Volunteer
If there is something in particular you are passionate about, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us to discuss the possibility of creating new roles.
Please contact our Volunteer Team for further information.
Email | Volunteering@westerntrust.hscni.net
Call | 02871 611 155
Volunteer Profile – Sinead
“Hi, my name is Sinead and I am a Meet and Greet Volunteer at South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen. I am positioned at the main entrance to give assistance to those who may need it when they enter the hospital, especially visitors attending outpatient appointments. I enjoy being a helpful hand to those who are unsure of where they are going in the hospital or how to check themselves in for a clinic. I feel that I am providing a great amount of help and support to people every week.”
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Volunteer Profiles
Marcella is one of our Macmillan Information and Support Volunteers in Omagh Hospital. Volunteering is a great opportunity to give back to the community and support others in a time that can be the most difficult time of their lives, especially after a cancer diagnosis.
Learn more about becoming a Macmillan Volunteer with the Western Trust by contact our Macmillan Information and Support Service on 02871611139
Martha Magee, Macmillan Information and Support Service Manager outlines the role of volunteers within their service and appeals for others who may be interested to make contact with the Trust’s Volunteer Service.
Pauline is a Meet and Greet Volunteer at our South West Acute Hospital and she told us, “I feel so happy and content when I leave the hospital after a few hours volunteering, knowing that I have helped people, makes me feel on top of the world!”
Molly helps out at Altnagelvin Hospital as a Mealtime Friend and hopes her volunteering role will support her plans to have a career in health care in the future.
“I wanted to get a feel for what it’s like to be on a ward in the hospital, helping out at meal times and interacting with staff and patients”
“I love to bring patients their meals and talk to them about how they are, staff are really friendly and accommodating and are always there to answer any questions I may have”
“Volunteering gives you a chance to work on your communication skills and can give you a great foundation for working in health and social care in the future, or if your just looking to help out and meet new people, volunteering is a great choice. So why not come join us?”
“My name is Niall and I help out in Omagh Hospital as a Meet and Greet Volunteer with the Western Trust. I really enjoy volunteering at the Hospital, it is a very interesting and rewarding role. Throughout my time volunteering I get to meet a large number of people who I otherwise would not have met. I recommend volunteering to anyone because it is a very interesting role.”
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a minimum/maximum age to be able to volunteer?
The minimum age to be able to volunteer is 16, we have no upper age limit.
Do I require an Access NI check to be able to volunteer?
Some of our roles will require an Access NI check due to the nature of the tasks or the location in which you are volunteering.
Is there any training provided?
All volunteers will have an induction session with the Volunteering team whilst any relevant additional training will be provided depending on the role.
How long do I have to volunteer for?
We ask volunteers to commit for a minimum of six months, with most volunteers usually attending one session per week for a few hours.
If I don’t like the role once I start volunteering can I change it?
Where possible we try to accommodate changes to volunteer roles, but this will be on the basis of availability of an alternative role and the volunteer’s suitability for a role.
Can I claim back any travel expenses?
Yes, as a volunteer you can claim for reasonable reimbursement of out of pocket travel expenses including public transport such as bus tickets or mileage costs if using your own car.
Is work experience the same as the volunteering programme?
Work experience is a structured and time bound programme which supports one to five day placements in specific areas within the hospital. You are unable to complete more than five days on the work experience programme.
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Contact Us
Volunteering Service
Ground Floor, North Wing,
Altnagelvin Hospital,
Glenshane Road,
Derry/Londonderry,
BT47 6SB028 7161 1155
Volunteering@westerntrust.hscni.net -
Volunteering Privacy Notice
Our Volunteering and Work Experience Team will collect information about you to assess your suitability for a volunteering or work placement within the Trust.
We will only collect the necessary information, which will include:
- Name
- Contact details (Address and Email)
- Date of Birth
- Health information (so the Trust is aware of any medical or mental health conditions to fulfil its duty of care to you and to the Trust’s staff, patients and clients).
We will retain the information for up to 3 years upon the completion of your volunteering and will securely dispose of the information at that point.
The information you provide will be shared with relevant services across the Trust to secure the placement but will not be shared further, unless required by law; or for a statutory purpose; or to investigate a health and safety incident; or to investigate any potential criminal activity; or to review an incident as per the Trust’s Incident Management policy.
You may withdraw consent for our holding of your information, at any time by contacting the Team at volunteering@westerntrust.hscni.net. This is also the contact email for any general queries you may have about your information or the Trust’s data protection and related policies.