Volunteers play an essential part in how patients and families experience care during some of the most challenging moments of their lives.
Their contribution isn’t limited to one task or one type of role – some volunteers spend time directly with patients, offering steady companionship or assisting the nursing team. Others work quietly behind the scenes to prepare meals, maintain calm spaces, or help keep the hospice running smoothly.
Each way in which volunteers support patients matters, and each one shapes the environment patients step into.
This blog explores the different ways volunteers support patients, what these roles look like in practice, and how the experience can be meaningful not only for the people receiving care, but also for those who give their time.
Why Hospice Volunteers Matter
Volunteering in a hospice offers a meaningful way to support people living with life-limiting illness and those close to them.
Whether your time is spent sitting with someone, offering reassurance to their family, or taking care of practical tasks in the background, volunteers help create a caring, steady environment at times when it matters most.
The Impact on Volunteers
For many volunteers, hospice work offers personal meaning and a sense of contributing to something important. In a survey, 47% of volunteers shared that helping people or improving things was their main motivation for volunteering.
Many volunteers also speak about the connection they feel with others who are drawn to this kind of work – a community shaped by patience and shared purpose. In a study by the British Heart Foundation, they found that 94% of their volunteers stated that volunteering helped them feel less isolated or lonely.
To find out more about what it’s like to volunteer in palliative care, watch Rhoddy’s story below. “I feel happy that I’ve done something useful for someone else,” Rhoddy reflects after each shift.
Volunteer Work at Skanda Vale Hospice
If these experiences interest you, you may find meaning in joining our volunteer community.
Discover our range of volunteering opportunities here. People arrive with different skills and motivations, but all are supported to grow, learn, and contribute in a way that feels natural to them.
And for those travelling from further afield, or those interested in offering more regular support, we offer a volunteer accommodation package which offers a calm base close to the hospice and makes longer-term or more frequent volunteering possible.
You can find out more about our free accommodation for healthcare volunteers here:
How Volunteers Support Patients
If you’ve seen our volunteering opportunities page, you’ll see that there are lots of ways volunteers can support patients (and their families) through their hardest times.
We’ve broken it down for you…
1. Companionship and Presence
For many patients, the thing that they value most isn’t entertainment or distraction, but the ease of simply being alongside someone who is attentive and unhurried.
Volunteers often sit with people who prefer quiet company, listen to a story they’ve heard before, or offer a steady presence when someone is feeling uncertain or tired. These moments don’t require special skills – they require noticing, patience, and a willingness to be with someone at their pace.
We are currently looking for a new companion volunteer to join our lovely team here at Skanda Vale Hospice which involves offering a compassionate presence and a safe space in which to talk about their well-being, share concerns, or simply enjoy friendly conversation.
Learn more about our companion volunteering role here.
2. Supporting Patients Through Compassionate Nursing Care
Some volunteers feel drawn to roles that involve more direct contact with patients, such as working alongside our nursing or carer team to support people living with life-limiting illness.
This work is attentive and deeply practical, and may involve helping someone move safely, offering reassurance during a difficult moment, or noticing when a patient needs a little more time, warmth or privacy.
Some volunteers also assist with patient assessments, which often involves being the first point of contact for patients and their loved ones, gathering information, listening carefully, and helping ensure each person receives care that aligns with their needs and preferences.
3. Supporting Meaningful Activities
Another way that hospice volunteers support patients is via meaningful activity.
This can be anything – painting, tending a plant, playing a simple game, or starting a conversation about past memories. Anything that they feel the patient would enjoy and can engage with at their own pace, without pressure or expectation.
Volunteers will also recognise that not everyone wants to join in, and that’s okay too! Some patients appreciate the chance to observe quietly from the edge of the room.
4. Practical Support Behind the Scenes
Much of the care volunteers offer is practical and can include a lot of ‘behind the scenes’ work at the hospice. These tasks may not always be seen by patients, but they play an essential part in creating a calm, welcoming environment where people can feel relaxed and cared for.
This behind-the-scenes work helps the whole team stay steady and attentive. When meals arrive on time, dishes are ready, and the kitchen runs smoothly, nurses and therapists have more space to focus on patient care.
If you enjoy working in a kitchen or find satisfaction in creating order and comfort for others, we offer dedicated roles such as Volunteer Kitchen Helper, Volunteer Cook and Volunteer Cleaner which support the heart of daily life at the hospice.
5. Supporting Friends and Families of Patients
Life-limiting illness affects more than the person receiving care. Friends and family often carry their own worries, questions, and emotional fatigue.
This is where volunteers can help, as they offer a gentle presence in moments like these, whether it’s making a cup of tea or simply being available for conversation.
These small acts help create an environment where everyone feels welcome, supported, and understood.
Getting Started
At Skanda Vale Hospice, volunteers are truly the heart of everything we do. If you’re like the sound of working with us and making a difference, we provide a huge range of rewarding hospice volunteering roles that can work flexibly around your other commitments.
Learn more about our volunteer nurse opportunities and free accommodation for healthcare volunteers here.
And for more insights from our experts, feel free to read our other blogs, including
‘How Do I Become a Hospice Volunteer?’, ‘Can I Volunteer As a Nurse?’ and ‘How to Find a Volunteering Job Near You: Our 5-Step Guide’.
