The Friends’ shops and trolley services, managed by Rai Hitchen, are staffed by volunteers. We are always looking for people to organise or help with fundraising events and aid the smooth running of the organisation.
The Friends are keen to make sure that volunteers have a sense of satisfaction in what they do, taking care to ensure that a voluntary role fulfils a need in an individual, whether that is in a social, creative or practical way.
Starting Point
If you are interested in becoming a Friends volunteer the first thing to do is to contact Amy or Sue in the Friends Office, to have a chat about what you would like to do. You will then be put in touch with Voluntary Services, who will talk to you further about the roles and, should you wish to proceed, provide the necessary paperwork.
What is the paperwork?
Before your taster session you will be given an application pack to complete and return to the Eastbourne DGH Voluntary Services Office. The pack includes a DBS check, and once this has been done we can arrange a taster session for you. The DBS check is an easy process, which can be done quite quickly and the Voluntary Services Team will be happy to help you to do it.
Arranging a Taster Session
A taster session can be quite quickly organised in an area that interests you and you can have more than one session in more than one area. During a taster session you will be looked after by an experienced volunteer or member of staff, who will show you the ropes and make sure that you understand the role and what it involves.
We want to be sure that the role that you decide to do as a volunteer for the Friends is something that will bring you satisfaction and enjoyment. If after having a taster session you decide that it is not for you then nothing is lost and you can make that decision with the experience of knowing what was involved in whatever role you chose to consider.
You may decide to try another role within the Friends or you may prefer to volunteer for the East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust in a department or on a ward and we will be happy to help you find your ideal voluntary role whatever that might be.
When Can I Start?
You can start as a Friends Volunteer as soon as you like once the application process is complete but you will have to work alongside an experienced volunteer until you have attended the mandatory Volunteers’ Training Session. The Volunteers’ Training Session, which is repeated every 3 years, will give you information on:
- Infection Control
- Health and Safety
- Fire Safety
These sound like quite serious subjects but they are presented in a very understandable way so please don’t be daunted by having to do them.
Your First Day as a Friends’ Volunteer
The first day of anything new is a bit like starting school again but there is always somebody around to help and support you as you learn the role that you have chosen. There is no such thing as a silly question so please ask if you have any doubts.
As a Friends’ Volunteer
- You will be required to wear an ID badge
- We will reimburse any travel expenses you may incur
- We will provide you with a car park permit so you can park here for free
After reading this we hope you feel inspired to come and talk to us about what you can do as a Friends’ Volunteer.
