Celebrating the Royal Surrey volunteers | News

Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust is marking Volunteers' Week (1-7 June) by celebrating the hundreds of volunteers who give their time across a wide range of roles supporting patients, staff and the hospital charity.

One of them is Wendy Camfield, a 78-year-old from Shalford who has been volunteering with Royal Surrey Charity for the last three years.

After retiring and selling her antiques business, she was looking for rewarding voluntary work - and Royal Surrey felt like the natural choice. She and her husband had both received care at the Trust, and she wanted to give something back.

Now, she volunteers twice a week at table top sales, selling things such as knitwear, blankets and second hand toys, games and puzzles.

She said: “I had sold my business and I was looking for rewarding charity work and a new challenge. We are so lucky to have this hospital and I just wanted to support it. It gives me pleasure, helping other people.

“The work that the charity do is tremendous. So much work goes on that the public don’t know about. Everybody should spend time inside the hospital and fully appreciate what goes on. It’s amazing.”

Across the Trust, 320 registered volunteers give up their time to help in a variety of different roles.

That includes helping out in the Emergency Department, in radiotherapy and in outpatients. There are also volunteers for Royal Surrey Charity and the Fountain Centre, as well as dedicated dementia volunteers.

Chrissie Beard, Voluntary Services Manager, said: “We are very lucky to have such a supportive team of volunteers across the trust, helping in a wide variety of roles, some front of house and some behind the scenes.

“It is a pleasure working with them and we are always keen to hear from our local community who may have a few hours a week to give on a regular basis.”

To find out more email rsc-tr.VoluntaryServices@nhs.net.