Volunteer withFoyle HospiceTogether we care Foyle Hospice.Bringwhat you can
Our volunteers keep Foyle Hospice moving. Whether you can give an hour, share a skill or try something new, there’s a place here for what you can bring.
More than 300 people already volunteer with us, in the hospice, in our shops and out in the community.
The little lights travelling through are our volunteers, keeping Foyle Hospice moving.
7waysto bring what you can
Choose an area to see its roles, or tap part of the shape.
Where would you like to help?
Choose an area to see its volunteer roles. Wherever you help, you’ll get an induction and training to settle in.
Bring your people skills.
Care & Wellbeing Support
Working alongside our nurses and care team in Day Therapy and on the Inpatient Unit, you’ll help make time at the hospice feel warm, relaxed and personal. Day Therapy runs from Tuesday to Thursday, 10.30am to 2pm, with complementary therapies, hair and beauty treatments, art, fitness classes and time with our nurse manager.
Got an hour? Evening tea on our Inpatient Unit takes just an hour, from 6.45pm to 7.45pm, and it runs every evening.
Evening tea assistant
Inpatient Unit, Every evening, 6.45pm to 7.45pm
Bring patients tea, water, biscuits, cereal or a light snack between meals. Some evenings still need a volunteer, and we’re also building a relief team to step in when our regulars are away.
Kitchen assistant
Day Therapy, Tuesday to Thursday
Join our relief team in the Day Therapy kitchen, serving light refreshments and snacks when our regular volunteers are on leave.
Complementary therapist
Day Therapy, Qualified therapists
Offer treatments to patients and their carers, from mindfulness and meditation, yoga and massage to music, art and reflexology. We’ll ask for copies of your certificates.
Hairdresser
Day Therapy, Qualified hairdressers
Help people look and feel like themselves. We’ll ask for copies of your certificates.
Beautician
Day Therapy, Qualified beauticians
Offer beauty treatments, such as manicures, that bring a little pampering to the day. We’ll ask for copies of your certificates.
Day Therapy entertainer
Day Therapy
Share music, art or games with people attending Day Therapy.
Reception cover volunteer
Main reception, Weekdays, 9am to 5pm
Cover our main reception when staff are on annual leave, answering phone calls and helping with administration.
Laundry assistant
Behind-the-scenes help that keeps everything fresh and ready for the people in our care.
Every Day Therapy role needs an Enhanced AccessNI check. What that involves
Have a skill you think could help our patients? Tell us about it on your form.
Our minibus brings patients to Day Therapy and home again, three days a week. Volunteer drivers help make that journey possible.
Minibus driver
Day Therapy, Tuesday to Thursday
Join our relief team of drivers, stepping in when the main team is unavailable. Set off from the hospice around 9.30am to collect patients for a 10.30am start, take them home at 2pm, then bring the minibus back. You’ll need a full, clean driving licence.
Rather be the passenger? Our van assistants head out with our drivers, collecting donations and making deliveries for our shops. See the van assistant role
Our Inpatient Unit sits within the hospice gardens by the River Foyle, and the gardens matter to patients, visitors and staff alike.
Gardener
Hospice grounds, Tuesdays, 8am to 12pm
Help with general maintenance around the hospice grounds, including the rose garden by the gazebo. Our gardening team meets every Tuesday morning, but if you’re free at other times on weekdays, or have particular gardening expertise, we’d love to hear from you.
If you’re handy, your experience can help keep our buildings safe, comfortable and well looked after.
Building maintenance volunteer
Join the small team of volunteers supporting our Maintenance Officer, helping keep the buildings, equipment and grounds safe and comfortable for patients and staff.
Our six charity shops are key to funding the free care we provide for local people and their families. Most are busy shops with plenty going on, and all kinds of availability are welcome.
Sales assistant
Serve customers and work the till, sort and price donations, steam and hang clothes, keep the shelves stocked and help create window and in-store displays. It’s ideal if you’re reliable, organised and good with people, with an eye for detail.
Van assistant
Head out with our van drivers to collect donations from the community, deliver purchases to customers and move stock between our six shops, from furniture to clothes and bric-a-brac.
Where we need help
Waterloo Place, Derry~LondonderryMonday to Saturday, 10am to 3pmHelp especially needed on Thursdays and Saturdays
Pennyburn Outlet, Derry~LondonderryOur main donation drop-off. Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm, and Saturday, 10am to 3pmLooking to grow the team
Castle Street, StrabaneMonday to Saturday, 10am to 4pmHelp needed across all opening times
Market Street, LimavadyMonday to Saturday, 10am to 4pmHelp especially needed on Tuesdays and Thursdays
John Street, CastledergMonday to Saturday, 10am to 4pmA mix of times welcome
Main Street, BallykellyWednesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pmNew volunteers welcome on any of these days
Anyone aged 16 or over can volunteer with us, and there are roles to suit different amounts of time. Have a skill that doesn’t fit any of these areas? Bring something we haven’t thought of, and tell us about it on your form.
1
Fill in the form
Apply online, or download the form and post it to our Volunteer Coordinator.
2
Come in for a chat
An informal chance for you to learn more about us, and for us to get to know you. Together, we’ll find the best place for your skills, and for anything you’d like to develop.
3
Settle in
Once you’re placed, you’ll have an induction to the hospice and your role, with training as you need it.
Posting a paper form? Send it to Volunteer Coordinator, Foyle Hospice, 61 Culmore Road, Derry~Londonderry BT48 8JE.
Your questions answered
Who can volunteer?
Anyone aged 16 or over. You don’t need to have volunteered before, and there are roles to suit different amounts of time.
How much time do I need to give?
It depends on the role. Evening tea on the Inpatient Unit takes just an hour, from 6.45pm to 7.45pm. Fundraising and event volunteers often help in slots of two or four hours. Some roles are weekly, like gardening on Tuesday mornings, while our relief teams step in now and then when regular volunteers are away.
Volunteering doesn’t always mean daytimes or weekends, either. Event support can mean giving an evening instead, so there’s room to fit volunteering around your work and home life.
Do I need experience or qualifications?
For most roles, no. We’ll match your skills, experience and the time you have to the roles available, and you’ll get an induction and training.
Specialist roles in Day Therapy, such as complementary therapies, hairdressing and beauty treatments, need you to be qualified, and we’ll ask for copies of your certificates. Minibus drivers need a full, clean driving licence.
Will I need an AccessNI check?
For every role in our Day Therapy Centre, yes. You’ll need an Enhanced AccessNI check, and for some roles, because of the type of work involved, we also check the barred list for work with adults.
For other roles, just ask and we’ll let you know what’s needed.
Can my workplace volunteer as a team?
Yes. Through corporate volunteering, staff teams help with fundraising and in our offices, gardens and shops.
I’ve recently lost someone. Can I volunteer?
You’re very welcome to get in touch. Many people want to give something back after someone they love has been cared for, and we’ll talk it through with you gently so you can find the right role at the right time.
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