Bethany’s Story

My Journey at Wigan & Leigh Hospice

Bethany began volunteering at the Hospice over a year ago, supporting the refreshments team in the Inpatient Unit. She does this alongside her full time job in the NHS. Here is her story.

A New Opportunity

“I went to an International Women’s Day event in March this year, and the Hospice had a stall and it reminded me of how I wanted to start volunteering for the Hospice again. I previously volunteered in 2016 for a year but now I am back and I don’t plan on leaving again.

My role on the IPU refreshments team involves handing out meals to patients and ensuring the patients are comfortable and that their room is tidy. After meals, I assist in handing out refreshments. There are usually visitors and family around, so I check to see if they would like anything too.

I know the nature of the place is quite sad, but having seen the alternatives such as hospitals, the staff work so hard but they don’t have the space that’s needed. Having a place like this is so refreshing. I have family members who work in the care industry, and I have applied for care jobs before, but one of the problems is that they don’t have the facilities needed for the holistic side of things. That is what I like about here, all bases of care are covered. They don’t just look after the physical side of visitors and patients, their mental needs are also looked after which I think is great.”

New experiences

“I now work in IT in my Monday to Friday role, but I have previously worked in Payroll, so I know how much money means to people. However, it is nice when money is taken out of the equation. It is a lovely thing to see so many volunteers who give up their time here and are happy to do so, it is a great thing to be a part of.

I wanted a volunteer role where I could work with people and help the service users, so that is when I knew the IPU refreshments role would be perfect for me. The longest shift you can do in the role is around three hours, but there is no limit – if you want to stay longer then that is usually fine. It is very flexible and there are many different roles you could do. The staff are always incredibly grateful and appreciate their volunteers immensely.

I would recommend volunteering at Wigan & Leigh Hospice to anyone.”

If you would like to join the Hospice team, see our current vacancies here.

Published October 2024