Volunteer Roles

We are always looking for behind the scenes support in a number of different roles which might include data-input, tidying up equipment or administrative support.  Minimum time commitment would be 2 hours per week and depending on the role, you can work remotely, flexibly or be committed to a morning or afternoon session at the hospital site.  Training would be provided for each role. This role is suitable for people who like administrative tasks and have IT skills.

(minimum time commitment 2 hours per week)

Welcoming patients and visitors into the Berkshire Cancer Centre (at the Royal Berkshire Hospital site) and providing assistance with directions. This role is very similar to the volunteer welcomers, meeters and greeter’s role, where you provide a friendly face to visitors and patients to help them feel welcome and comfortable. You will need to have excellent communication skills and enjoy talking to people.

(AM and PM shifts from Monday to Friday, minimum time commitment 3 hrs per week) 

Our Bracknell volunteers help in either the renal unit, the chemo ward or on the welcome desk. Volunteers in the renal unit and chemo ward help with teas/coffees/lunches, cleaning chairs, stocking trollies, talking to patients and/or help with triaging. Volunteers on the welcome desk help with directions and collecting wheelchairs for those patients who require them. All of the roles at Bracknell are suitable for people wanting to engage more closely with patients.

(minimum time commitment 4 hours per week during the week plus the choice of Saturday midday for our Renal Unit) 

Our Care Crew team provide a flexible, client centred programme of therapeutic activities for individuals and groups of patients predominantly within elderly care. Our Care Crew helpers provide support to the team with art and craft sessions, patient engagement activities and also reminiscence sessions. This role is suitable for people who want to engage closely with our older patients.

(minimum time commitment 2 hours per week in the afternoons during the weekday from 2-4pm) 

We require drivers to pick up medical equipment from the hospital and take it to patient’s homes and vice-versa. Areas covered are Reading, Wokingham, Newbury, Henley, Pangbourne etc. You will be using your own vehicle and can be reimbursed for fuel costs based on your mileage. Community drivers are required on an ad-hoc basis as the need arises and there is no regular weekly time commitment. You will need to feel comfortable collecting and dropping items off at patient’s homes.

Volunteers support patients and staff in the Emergency Department.  Volunteers take a refreshments trolley around to patients and serve hot and cold drinks. Volunteers also talk to patients and can help be a calming influence during a very stressful time.  Training will be provided and volunteers work in pairs.  This role is suitable for those looking to work on a busy ward. Shifts can be at any time of the day, seven days a week to fit in with your regular availability.

(minimum time commitment 2 hours per week) 

We require gardeners to help maintain the various therapy gardens around the Royal Berkshire Hospital site. Therapy gardens are used by many of our patients and staff. You will help with pruning, weeding, planting, keeping borders trim and general garden tidying plus there may be opportunity for a friendly chat with patients and staff. Gardening experience would be ideal however, as long as you don’t mind getting your hands dirty then we welcome anyone who wants to develop their green fingers. Gardeners are required on an ad-hoc basis, but we have a particular need for gardeners during the warmer months. We like to see a regular weekly commitment during the warmer months.  

(minimum time commitment 2-4 hrs per week mainly during the warmer months.  Shifts are available during the week and also at the weekends) 

Transporting patients within the Royal Berkshire Hospital in golf-type buggies. Our hospital buggies operate on level 2 of the hospital and take patients to their appointments. Our driver’s take patients to the nearest lift/stairs should they need to access a ward or department on a different floor. Drivers need to have a valid UK driving license.

(minimum time commitment 4 hours per week, morning and afternoon sessions from Monday to Friday) 

Providing and supporting the radio service for the hospital including visiting wards to get music requests from patients then delivering live shows in the afternoons, evenings and at weekends. There is more information on the Hospital Radio Reading page. For further information, please contact the radio chairman, Gerard Rocks on gerard@hrreading.org.uk. 

Supporting the Library and Knowledge Services team, we are looking for volunteers to help with marketing and running of events (i.e. shared reading, reviewing stock, signposting resources, supporting staff using the facilities with where to find items or using the computers). The service brings different opportunities daily.  If you have an eye for detail this is a suitable post for you.

(Minimum commitment 2-4 hours per week during the week Monday to Friday)  

This role is available seven days a week and you would need to commit to a minimum of one session per week. Our maternity door volunteers are stationed on the reception desk on level 4 of the maternity block and provide a warm welcome to all visitors. Duties will include allowing visitors onto the ward via the intercom and providing assistance with directions or refreshments. Volunteers need to be comfortable with using a phone/intercom.

(minimum commitment 2 hours per week, from 4-6pm) 

We are looking for volunteers to help at our community Meet PEET (Patient Experience Engagement Team) health clinic events which are held during the week and weekends in and around the Reading area. Our specialist nurses complete NHS checks (eg. Blood pressure, cholesterol, heights and weight) on members of the public and then provide tailored advice and support to help those, particularly those who suffer from health inequalities, to live healthier lives and prevent future illness.

Our volunteers help with managing queues, help people to register on the digital health check platform, help with height measurements, encourage people to have a health check and help with set-up and packing-up.  This is a great opportunity for anyone who would like to volunteer in the local community working alongside health professionals, making a difference in supporting individuals to help improve their health. This role provides great flexibility in that you can pick and choose which events you would like to help at. Minimum time commitment is 4 hrs per session at least 4 times per month. Travel expenses can be reimbursed.

(minimum time commitment is 4 sessions per month)  

Supporting the museum for the benefit of the public. The museum is open on the first and third Sunday of every month from 2.00 till 4.30pm. Volunteering is on a rota basis. Volunteers welcome visitors and show them the general layout of the museum. No medical knowledge is required.  

There's more information on the Medical Museum webpage. This role is particularly suited to people who want to do less frequent volunteering and the option to combine this with another role such as gardening is available. For further information or to make an enquiry, please visit the museum during one of the open days and speak to a member of the team.

(minimum commitment one session every two to three months on a Sunday) 

Helping support the development of internationally educated nurses, enabling them to register in the UK, by acting as a patient and following a scenario. You don’t need to be a professional actor, just to be able to empathise and relay a character to the nurse who is being assessed. The dates and times for these sessions are 8am to 12.30pm and/or 12.30pm to 3.30pm and are organised by our Practice Development Team.

(minimum time commitment 8-12 hours per month/4 sessions per month) 

We are looking for volunteers who want to be alongside patients throughout the hospital, listening deeply, being responsive to their needs and offering a reassuring presence, while working as part of the wider ward team.

As well as basic training, there are a variety of options to specialise in one or more of the following areas of patient care:

• Patient Companions offer sensitive support to patients who are at their most vulnerable and who don’t receive many visitors.
• Compassionate Companions offer support to patients who are at the end-of-life.
• Cancer Companions support patients at the Berkshire Cancer Care Centre.
• Dialysis Companions sit regularly with dialysis patients.
• Forces Companions specifically support veterans and active service personnel.

All of these roles require excellent communication and interpersonal skills, together with a strong desire to care.

No previous experience is required as initial training and ongoing support is provided through workshops, one-to-ones and group reflective practice as well as immediate on-call support. 

The Patient Companions programme is run by the Spiritual Healthcare team and is secular in nature. Volunteers need to be 17 or over and 21 years of age or over to support end-of-life patients due to the sensitive and complex nature of this work. 

If you would like to become a Patient Companion we would love to hear from you. Simply email: Patient.Companions@royalberkshire.nhs.uk or call 0118 322 7105.

Patient Leaders work closely with Trust staff on a wide variety of projects representing the views of patients and their carers. Patient Leaders are provided with training to enable them to fulfil the role. Become a Patient Leader.

Taking medicines from the Pharmacy to the wards and helping with other jobs around the Pharmacy department. This role requires the volunteer to be physically fit, as there is a lot of walking back and forth to the wards across the Royal Berkshire Hospital site.

(This role is available during the week and you would need to commit to one full day starting from 10am until approximately 5pm) 

Pharmacy stores volunteer is a valuable and flexible resource who can help ease the pressure with the general housekeeping of the Pharmacy Stores. Volunteers help put away stock, stock up shelves and feed into distribution robots. Other duties include affixing pharmacy address labels onto packs, help maintain infection control of stock boxes, delivering bags of stocks/medicines to wards and departments. Volunteers need to be physically fit for this role as it involves walking and standing.    

This role is available during the week and you would need to commit to at least one day of the week for about 4-5 hrs (approximate 10am-5pm).

Helping support the work of the Trust Charity, for example, administrative work in the office or promoting and helping to organise fundraising activities. It might also include helping at specific events, such as Reading Half Marathon, or acting as a representative of the Charity at events where they need speakers.

(minimum time commitment 2 hours per week) 

Supporting the communication and engagement team with social media, designing posts, digital file sorting, photo & video labelling.  If you have social media skills, a creative approach and are computer literate then why not think about joining the ‘communication and engagement team’ to help us improve our digital presence.

This role is available during the week and you would need to commit to at least one half-day a week. Remote working is an option once established as a member of the team.

Tasks vary depending on the ward and types of patients, but activities include assisting with practical tasks (such as helping patients to fill in menu forms), chatting to patients, and administrative tasks. If you volunteer around mealtimes, you can help serve trays, help prepare patients for mealtimes and encourage patients to eat their meals. In addition, if you go on an extra training course, you can help assist patients with feeding. This role is suitable to people wanting to engage more closely with patients and to help directly on the wards.  You will need to have excellent communication skills and enjoy talking to people. We are in particular need for ward helpers during the week from Monday to Friday.

(minimum time commitment 2 hours per week) 

Working in our welcoming areas, in the centre of the hospital, in South Block or North Block. Volunteers help patients and other visitors to the Trust find their way around, either by directing or escorting them to their destination. Our meeters and greeters provide a friendly face to visitors of the hospital helping them feel welcome and comfortable.

(minimum time commitment 3 hours per week, Monday to Friday either morning or afternoon sessions) 

Collecting wheelchairs from around the hospital and returning them to collection points, so they can be used by patients and visitors. This role would suit someone who is physically fit as it involves a lot of walking. This role also involves giving direction to patients and visitors whilst you walk around the hospital site.  

(This role is available seven days a week and you would need to commit to a minimum of 2 hours per week)