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Participation and volunteering
Our Participation Partners, which include volunteers and patient representatives, are part of the team. They complement the work of our paid staff to help our patients, carers, visitors, and staff. They provide invaluable support and make a real difference to people’s lives.
Volunteers support our Trust services. In Herefordshire this includes mental health services. In Worcestershire this includes community, mental health and children's services. To find out more about the types of services we provide visit the about us page.
We are recruiting and welcome new volunteers to join our dedicated team. We can work with you to find the best role to suit your skills and amount of time you can spare.
If you are interested, please contact us for a chat. Email whcnhs.volunteers@nhs.net or call Kate Richards on 07849 308546.
Volunteering roles available
Our volunteers work within a wide range of roles in both clinical and non-clinical areas. Whether you live in Herefordshire or Worcestershire, your time and support is welcomed.
Our current volunteering roles include;
- Volunteers to support with exercise and therapeutic activities – At the Stonebow Unit, Hereford
- Meet and Greet Volunteers – At the Princess of Wales Community Hospital.
- Visiting support for patients
- Gardeners
- Refreshment Trolley volunteers within our wards
- Registered Pets as Therapy volunteers
- Volunteer Chaplains
- Breast Buddy Volunteers
- Job Club Volunteers
Our patient, carer and public boards and panels
We also have a range of strategic opportunities including;
- Community Engagement Panel. A group of service users, carers and the public in Worcestershire. They give views and feedback on a range of topics and services.
- Equality Advisory Group. The group look at areas and impacts that could be unfair for different people or groups. They explore Trust policies and services where groups of people could experience inequality.
- Experts by Experience. A group of people who have used our mental health services in Herefordshire. This is either through their own use of those services, or through caring for someone that has.
- PLACE inspections. Patient led Assessors look at the environment within our inpatient sites. They access Trust locations throughout the two counties.
- Youth Board. A group of young people aged 14-25 who live within Worcestershire. They ensure the services we provide are effective and accessible.
Research and Development
Our Research Team explores a wide array of mental health conditions. This includes depression, psychosis, and bipolar disorder. They also do research in dementia, complex neurology, dietetics, and musculoskeletal conditions. Their mission is to give opportunities for patients, carers, and staff to take part.
Go to Research and development
Volunteer and Participation Policy
Participation and Volunteer Policy[pdf] 1MB
Latest Volunteering News
Activity Volunteers needed
We’re looking for qualified volunteers to help run physical health exercise sessions for patients on our adult inpatient mental health wards in both Worcester and Hereford:
If you are qualified teaching the following and have time free, we would love to hear from you.
- Music Therapist/Instructor
- Dance Therapy/Instructor
- Tai Chi/Reiki Instructor
- Yoga Instructor
The ideal candidate will be able to commit to running sessions, preferably for up to 1 hour classes each week on the wards at the Elgar Unit in Worcester or on Mortimer Ward in the Stonebow Unit in Hereford.
If you would like more information about the volunteer role or to have an informal conversation, please contact our Volunteer Services Co-Ordinator, Kate Richards or either email address Kathryn.richards3@nhs.net or on telephone number: 07849 308546
Creating clear patient information
As we step into a New Year, we would like to wish all our volunteers in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust a very happy and healthy year ahead. Your commitment, generosity and enthusiasm make a real difference, and we are extremely grateful for everything you do.
The Trust remains firmly committed to creating patient-friendly information that is easy to find, use and understand.
This focus has been driven by the Community Engagement Panel, a passionate group of volunteers dedicated to making Trust communications accessible, understandable and compassionate for everyone. Using their lived experience, the panel carried out an audit of Trust information in 2024 and successfully championed this work to become a Trust Quality Account priority for 2025-26. Their insight and determination have led to meaningful change.
As a result, the Trust has produced six practical checklists to support staff in creating accessible letters, leaflets and website pages. These tools provide clear guidance to ensure information is inclusive, readable and patient-focused from the start.
Volunteers are also helping to co-create a powerful video that explains why clear communication matters and the impact it has on people’s experiences. This video will be shown at an all-staff webinar this month, helping to start the year with a renewed focus on putting our patients first.
The patient voice in interview panels
We actively involves participation partners on interview panels for Trust staff. Below, two Trust volunteers share their recent experiences of taking part.
“Being part of interview panels (and volunteering with the NHS as a whole) has given me opportunities and experiences that have been invaluable, both as a way to better myself and to give back to the community. Sitting on interview panels is always very interesting — you get to see how everything works behind the scenes and meet some incredibly passionate people. Most people have probably been interviewed before; however, not many can say they’ve sat on the other side and had the opportunity to contribute. If you want to know more about how the NHS finds the right people for each of its roles, or even how interviews work in general, I’d definitely recommend giving it a try!” Tina
“It helped build my confidence in a formal setting and gave me insight into how recruitment decisions are shaped — and most importantly, it reinforced how valuable it is for young people to be represented in interview panels.
I would wholeheartedly recommend the experience of interviewing to others. Both sessions were welcoming, supportive, and genuinely enjoyable, and I really valued the opportunity to meet candidates and fellow panel members in person. I am also very grateful to the NHS staff who supported the interviews and for helping make the experience so positive.
It was also a nice bonus to be paid for the hours spent interviewing. However, for me the real value comes from the experience itself — building confidence, developing skills, and having the opportunity to contribute to meaningful recruitment decisions that can genuinely shape services.” George
To find out more visit https://www.hacw.nhs.uk/volunteering
Valued volunteer training
Over the past couple of months, the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust have been busy working alongside volunteers and staff on an exciting new project: the creation of a short training video aimed at staff across the Trust. This video celebrates what positive volunteer experiences look like and highlights the simple, everyday actions that can have a powerful impact. Small gestures such as saying hello, expressing thanks, and taking the time to ask for and listen to volunteers’ opinions all help people feel welcome, wanted and truly heard.
This work was directly informed by feedback from the Volunteer Survey 2025 and will be rolled out across all volunteer managers in the Trust, helping to embed these good practices consistently and meaningfully.
You can view the video here: https://youtu.be/hf0JMGtizqM
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed their time, ideas and experiences to help create these useful and powerful videos. Your voices have helped shape something that will benefit volunteers now and in the future.
Spotlight on Pets as Therapy Volunteers
We want to give a big shout out to our beautiful Pets as Therapy dogs. Amber, Olive, Poppy, Reggie, Riley, Tavey and Tosca and of course to their lovely owners, Gavin, Jo, Cath, Sally, Andrea, Louise and Andrew.
How fortunate are we having these Pets as Therapy dogs, together with their owners come into our Hospitals and Units to visit and chat most weeks with our patients. Also a big welcome to our four new Pets as Therapy volunteers who visit patients at the Princess of Wales Community Hospital, the Stonebow Unit, Tenbury Community Hospital , the Elgar Unit and Pershore Community Hospital.
Thank you to all of you for giving up your time and for your support when you meet with our patients. You really make a difference to our patients stay whilst in hospital and also brighten up the days of our staff who look forward to your visits too!
Gardeners win volunteers of the year 2025
On Thursday 2nd October, colleagues from across our Trust came together at Stanbrook Abbey Hotel to celebrate the achievements of the past year, recognise long service milestones and applaud the individuals and teams who go above and beyond every day.
One of the Awards was the Volunteer of the Year Award which celebrates a volunteer (or volunteering Team) who has made an exceptional contribution through their time, energy, and compassion. They go above and beyond to support staff, patients, and families, making a real difference in people’s lives.
We are delighted that the following Volunteers got shortlisted in this category.
- Gardening Team at Primrose Palliative Care Unit
- Anwen Jeffreys - Volunteer, Youth Board
- Sally Flood (and Reggie) - Pets as Therapy Volunteer, Keith Winter House
- Charlotte Rea - Volunteer, Cottage Ward
Congratulations to our well deserved winners, the Gardening Team at Primrose Palliative Care Unit. Also congratulations to all the volunteers who got shortlisted and nominated in this category. We are very proud of you all and can’t thank you enough!
Welcoming our new Breast Buddies!
Exciting news! From the 1st September 2025, we have been welcoming and onboarding “Breast Buddies”. These are our community breastfeeding peer supporters. Breast Buddies are mums who have previously breastfed. They offer friendly support to other parents to help their feeding journeys. They can be found at our community breastfeeding groups across the County.
We want to give all our current and future Breast Buddies a big thank you!
The work you do in supporting women is amazing. It can make a huge difference to them and their babies. Breastfeeding has many proven health benefits. For babies, breastmilk reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, obesity, infections and heart disease in adulthood. For mums, breastfeeding reduces the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, obesity, weak bones and heart disease. It can be a challenging time in the early days and weeks with a new baby. Breast Buddies, along with the Infant Feeding Team, provide much needed support, reassurance and encouragement to help mums with their breastfeeding journey.
For further information about becoming a Breast Buddy, please email Lisa.dare@nhs.net
Returning to work after volunteering
"Volunteering is much more than just giving up your free time to help others. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the Community Engagement Panel (CEP) with the Trust.
At the time, I was at a transitional stage in life, having recently had children and experiencing a family bereavement. I knew I needed to do something purposeful, but I didn’t want anything too demanding. CEP was the perfect fit. It allowed me to draw on my previous knowledge and experience in the medical field, but in a more relaxed and less pressured environment. It gave me a renewed sense of value and direction.
Volunteering with CEP became a meaningful stepping stone back into the world of work. It helped rebuild my confidence and reminded me of the skills I still had to offer.
Plus, I got to meet some truly lovely and interesting people along the way!"
Find out more about joining the Community Engagement Panel.
Frequently asked questions
How do I sign up?
You will need to complete the Volunteering Registration Form. This will then be emailed to Kathryn.richards3@nhs.net who will support you with the paperwork required.
How will volunteering help me?
Volunteering can help improve both your physical and mental health. It can improve wellbeing, increase happiness, reduce loneliness and ease depression. It can also support people going through life transitions. We can support further learning with a range of training opportunities.
Do I have to be a current patient/service user?
No. Many of our participation partners and volunteers aren’t current patients/service users.
What age do I have to be?
You would need to be over 16 to get involved or volunteer within most of our opportunities. But, we have a youth board for those aged 14-25, who want to get involved in developing services at a strategic level.
How much time do I need to give?
You can give as much time as you would like from 3 hours per month upwards. You can discuss with us what arrangement works for you and the role you are applying for.
Will I be paid?
Most of our participation partners are not paid for their time. We do make sure you don’t lose out financially so will cover agreed expenses, such as travel or parking.
A small number of volunteers are offered payments if certain criteria is met within the role description. This includes certain strategic, decision-making roles that involve accountability and leadership. These roles are clearly identified and advertised to all participation partners when available.
Will I be trained?
Yes, we have a full induction and training process. There will be an induction to your specific role so that you are confident in what we are asking you to do.
Once I start how will I be kept in touch with?
All participation partners will receive a newsletter via their email. This will include updates on news and opportunities across the Trust.
You will be managed and supervised in the place where you volunteer.
How do you reward and recognise participation partners?
The Trust holds an annual Staff Awards night to celebrate it's staff. This includes one category dedicated to Trust volunteers and participation partners.
What happens if I become unwell, or don’t want to continue with my role?
Please do not worry as we fully understand that this may happen. You can opt out of the programme at any point or take a break.
If you are interested, contact us for a chat at whcnhs.volunteers@nhs.net or call Kate Richards on 07849 308546.