Volunteers are fundamental to the success of the UCH Macmillan Cancer Centre. They're a key part of the team of staff and healthcare professionals who help to ensure that each patient, their carers and loved ones receives the very best treatment, information, care and support.
If you want to join us as part of this groundbreaking service, we'll be recruiting more volunteers in Spring and Summer 2012. Most volunteer shifts will fall between 8am - 7pm, Monday - Friday.
Roles include:
- Welcomers and guides: People to greet visitors when they arrive, help them to check in, ensure they feel comfortable, guide them around the centre so they understand the services available and know how to access them, if needed, accompany people to appointments and the support and information service.
- Lead welcomers and guides: Using your management skills to help induct, organise and support our welcomer and guide volunteers. You'll also have the opportunity to greet and guide visitors yourself,
- Support and information: Work alongside healthcare professionals to provide emotional support and help people access the support and information they need and help us run our welcome desks.
- Young people’s activities: Use your artistic, musical and other such talents and expertise to provide a range of exciting activities for teenagers and young adults (aged 13-24) living with cancer.
- Daycare and outpatients: Support patients and their families on the outpatients, chemotherapy, haematology or young adults and teenage floor. This includes showing them around, spending time chatting with them, helping them access other services and information, if needed accompanying them to appointments and the support and information service.
- Complementary Therapists: We are looking for therapists qualified in aromatherapy, massage, reiki and reflexology to help us expand our service
People volunteer for all sorts reasons. These might include:
- Making a real difference to people living with cancer and to the local community
- Being part of a motivated and committed team in a cutting-edge cancer service
- Learning new skills, improving employment opportunities or personal development
- Helping to shape the volunteering service
- Giving something back
- Having fun!
Whatever your motivation, your time and skills are invaluable. We are committed to ensuring you get the most from your volunteering with us and will provide you with the full training, supervision and support appropriate to your role. We also reimburse some out of pocket expenses.
To join the team at the UCH Macmillan Cancer Centre, in most cases we would hope you can offer a commitment of a minimum of six months to a year for a regular day/half day (be it weekly, alternate weeks or monthly).
However, there will be some shorter term, more flexible opportunities so please do ask!
We welcome applications from male and female volunteers, from any ethnicity or cultural background, who are over the age of 18.
The Cancer Centre will not generally recruit volunteers to roles which involve working directly with patients if you are currently or recently (within the last two years) affected by cancer, either as a patient, carer or family member, or have been bereaved during the last two years. There may well be other roles available which do not involve direct work with patients so please do contact us if you are interested in volunteering.
We ask all prospective UCH Macmillan Cancer Centre volunteers to complete an application form before they are selected for interview. Following interview, if you are successful, you will need to provide evidence of your identity and right work in the UK, two references and complete CRB and occupational health checks - all of which we'll guide you through to make it as easy as possible.
Get in touch at: ccvolunteers@uclh.nhs.uk (please put ‘Volunteering’ in the email title) or call Naomi Neiland on 0203 4477360.
There are also opportunities to volunteer elsewhere at University College London Hospitals.