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Three people in red shirts sat outside talking to each other

Volunteers play an important role within the Trust, supporting our staff as well as patients, parents and visitors to the hospital. You can recognise them by their red t-shirts.

Volunteer recruitment

We recruit volunteers periodically throughout the year. When we have vacancies available these will be published here and advertised through Facebook and Twitter.

Volunteer Recruitment is now closed. Any new information about recruitment will be posted here in early 2025.

Please note that you must be aged 16 or over to volunteer with us.

Volunteer stories

You can find out what our volunteers get up to in their roles and how volunteering at the Trust has benefited them.

Liz - Emergency Department 'Meet & Greet' Volunteer

LizHow long have you been a volunteer?

Since April 2015.

What made you want to volunteer with us?

I was recently retired with spare time on my hands. I had previously encountered a volunteer in the Royal Hallamshire Hospital and thought I may like to do that too but then forgot about it, until I noticed a small article in the Sheffield Telegraph, advertising volunteer vacancies at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

I live locally and have long family associations with the hospital through my siblings and my children and felt I would like to ‘give something back’!

I am definitely a people person and felt the ‘meet & greet’ role would be where I could be useful.

What do you do in your role?

I started out in the Emergency Dept where I would meet and greet patients, their families, visitors, occasionally the police and ambulance service (non-emergency), staff and anyone using the Emergency Department entrance. I would deal with all sorts of queries as many people used that entrance but really needed to be elsewhere in the hospital. I directed them or in most cases, accompanied them to where they really needed to be.

Sometimes they have unusual concerns… ‘Do you know the time of the next train to Grimsby? Where can I buy some baby clothes? I need to go on a run while my child is asleep, I did 20 laps of the park yesterday, where else can I go?’ Mostly though they need directing to another department or ward or the restaurant!

I now cover meet and greet in the main hospital entrance and out-patients department where I am on my feet for the whole shift but I enjoy walking people around the hospital and it’s cheaper than joining a gym! We help people to check in for their children’s clinic appointments and take them to various departments around the hospital.

What is most satisfying part of your role and what do you enjoy about it?

Being able to solve a problem which is worrying, possibly distressing, to the person who is in front of me. It only takes a few minutes, seconds even, but makes their visit to the hospital so much easier and less stressful.

It makes me feel very proud of the calibre of our hospital and staff when I hear how far some people have come for an appointment and Sheffield Children’s Hospital is the only place in the country where their child can be treated.

What have you gained from volunteering?

I have routine to my week and look forward to my shift. I enjoy my relationship with all the staff, particularly the receptionists, who tell me they greatly value my help in intercepting queries which would otherwise come to them.

I am proud to tell people I am a volunteer at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about becoming a volunteer at Sheffield Children’s Hospital?

Do it!

Helen W - Neo-Natal Ward Volunteer

Sheffield ChildrensHow long have you been a volunteer?

More than three years now.

What made you want to volunteer with us?

I’d recently retired from full time work, I wanted to keep active and useful and have always been a committed supporter of our NHS and what it stands for.

I looked into a number of different volunteering opportunities and the Children’s Hospital scheme struck me as well organised and valuable whilst allowing for some degree of flexibility.

What do you do in your role?

For the first 18 months I worked at the Main Entrance meeting and greeting visitors, patients and their families. This was a great place to “get the feel” of Sheffield Children’s Hospital and to “jump in” practically helping people as they initially arrive for appointments and treatments.

Some vacancies came up volunteering on the Neo-natal Surgical Unit (NSU) and I felt ready for a bit more of a “hands-on” role – as a newish grandparent I’m only too well aware of how fortunate and blessed we’ve been to have healthy children, so the idea of assisting on the NSU seemed to strike a chord with me.

My role now includes assisting with washing/drying/folding of bedding, washing pots, cleaning toys and books (used by sibling visitors) and other equipment. I also chat with parents who often have long fretful days and nights by their poorly baby’s cot-sides. When parents are unable to be there (for many reasons) I am often asked to just sit and cuddle/interact with the babies – as nursing staff rarely get the luxury of time to do that!

What is most satisfying part of your role and what do you enjoy about it?

By the end of my relatively short shift,  I like to think I’ve been as helpful as possible and as many housekeeping jobs are done, I’ve had a little chat with any mums who are on their own and often feel as though they are living in a sort of “bubble”. And of course I really enjoy giving a little bit more human contact to the babies who may also be alone. It’s not frightening or depressing… it’s uplifting.

What have you gained from volunteering?

It’s part of the structure of my week, it’s often interesting and hopefully helps me keep interesting to other people too! It helps me feel useful and in touch and most of all it helps me to look on the positive side of life and give thanks.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about becoming a volunteer at Sheffield Children’s Hospital?

If you have a little time you can spare each week, get in touch with our co-coordinators and make a commitment… it’s a wonderful thing to do!

Supporting our volunteers

We value all our volunteers and look after you as well as we can. We offer you travel expenses, a uniform, and regular reviews and catch-ups with our Volunteer Co-ordinator. You will also receive a monthly email with news and updates.

After you have been accepted as a volunteer you will have training and an induction which will prepare you for your role. You can access other training opportunities throughout the year and we organise regular social events.

We are proud to have achieved the national Investing in Volunteers quality award for the past six years and have also achieved the Sheffield Volunteer Standard.

Charity volunteering

There are also opportunities to volunteer with other charities involved with the hospital:

  • The Children’s Hospital Charity – volunteering for The Children’s Hospital Charity is a fantastic way to give something back, gain valuable experience or meet new friends. They are always in search of people to fill a variety of volunteer positions including charity ambassadors, office and events assistants, collection tin co-ordinators and public collectors. To find out more contact the Charity by email or telephone 0114 321 2470.
  • Friends of the Children’s Hospital – the Friends of the Children’s Hospital run a shop in the hospital and fundraise throughout the year to support the Trust and its patients. The Friends are always on the look out for volunteers.

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