Volunteers' Week: Support floods in to Queen Alexandra Hospital as volunteers help NHS staff

Volunteers old and new have been teaming up to keep services running smoothly and making sure patients have the best experience they can while in hospital.

Hundreds of people go above and beyond in a variety of roles, and many people on furlough have found their way to helping out the NHS in Cosham.

Liz Rix, chief nurse at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, said: ‘Our volunteers are such an important part of the team here at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust.

‘They give their time to us so selflessly to support colleagues and patients and we would like to give our thanks to everyone who is currently volunteering, has volunteered or plans to volunteer with us again. You are all fantastic!’

Emma Whidbourne, who has been volunteering at the hospital for about a year, has moved from her usual role in accident and emergency to help drop bags to the wards.

The kind volunteer said: ‘I want to go into nursing in the future and it’s been great to experience life in hospital. We’ve formed a bit of a family as volunteers because we’re here day-in day-out working together and helping keep the hospital going.’

Furloughed librarian Marie Bartlett has had a change of scenery from Portsmouth High School to take on a voluntary role at Queen Alexandra Hospital.

For the past six weeks, she has been delivering patients’ belongings, unpacking donation boxes and making tea in the Macmillan cancer clinic.

Marie said: ‘I really enjoy coming over here - it gets me out, I see somebody else’s four walls and I chat to an awful lot of really interesting people.’

Previously a waiter, Josh Crellin has been giving his time to the Cosham hospital for about a month.

Josh said: It’s nice when you come here and you see everything that people are giving to the hospital to help out all the key workers. It’s just lovely to see and it’s really nice to be a part of.’

Leane Stevenson is normally a butler in Goodwood - and has taken on a very different role while volunteering at the hospital for the past two months.

‘The reason I volunteer is I wanted to do something to help with the current situation and so I thought I could be helpful here at the hospital,’ said Leane.

‘I get to meet different people, I get to feel like I’m doing something to help the current situation and I really enjoy getting all my steps in by running up and down the stairs delivering patients’ belongings to them.’

The positive atmosphere of the hospital is keeping up the spirits of Olivia Hudson, known by most as Pixie.

She said: ‘The environment here, despite everything happening, has been super positive and it’s really nice to be around.’

Possibly looking for a change of career, car sales and finance expert Ian Foden has been volunteering for around five weeks.

‘The reason for volunteering at the hospital was the call for Covid-19,’ said Ian, who is also a lifeboat volunteer.

‘I’ve been volunteering for eight years anyway so I wanted to get involved with the hospital and also possibly a change of career on the horizon so I would love to work here as well.’

Information about signing up to be a hospital volunteer can be found at porthosp.nhs.uk/get_involved/volunteering.htm.

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