Why do our Volunteers choose St Raphael’s? Expand People volunteer with St Raphael’s for many different reasons. Some of our volunteers tell us they joined us to meet new people; others wanted to gain skills or experience. Many of our volunteers want to support their local communities, or they have a personal connection to St Raphael’s and want to give something back. Whatever your reason we would love for you to join us!
What skills and experience do I need? Expand For most of our volunteer roles you don’t need any specific skills or experience, just enthusiasm to get involved and a willingness to support people living with a life limiting illness. If specific skills, experience or qualifications are needed (e.g. volunteer Complementary Therapy or Driver roles) we will provide details on the role description.
How old do I need to be? Expand Generally, the minimum age for volunteering is 16. Other roles may not be suitable for people under 18 depending on the activities involved. There’s no maximum age limit for volunteering at St Raphael’s.
How much time do I need to give? Expand Some roles include regular volunteering (e.g. Shops, Hospice reception) while others can be one-off for a specific period of time. We have a range of opportunities across the organisation – there’s something for everyone!
Will I get training? Expand Yes! All roles require an element of training, including an induction to get you settled into your role. The amount of training you’ll need depends on the role, for example if you’ll be volunteering directly with patients and families in our hospice or in the community, the training can take a bit longer to complete.
Will I get expenses reimbursed? Expand We believe you should never be out of pocket if you volunteer with us, so we'll pay for all of your reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including travel. If you volunteer for more than four hours, we can provide you with lunch.
Will you do a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS)? Expand It depends on the role. We are required to carry out criminal records checks for some roles where you’ll be volunteering with patients. If we need to carry out a DBS check, we'll provide you with full information and guidance.
I’d like to support patients in a hospice or at home, but I have recently been bereaved. Can I still volunteer? Expand Everyone is different and the reality of being in an environment supporting individuals living with a terminal illness, whether in someone’s home or the hospice after you’ve been bereaved may be different to what you imagine. This is something to consider before you apply and you can discuss this with the Volunteer Services Team. There are a range of roles available at St Raphael’s and you might want to think about volunteering in a different environment initially, for example volunteering in a fundraising group or one of our charity shops.
Do you Support the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme? Expand Yes. However, we only accept volunteers over the age of 16 who can give a minimum of 30 hours.
Will you provide me with a reference? Expand Once you have volunteered with us for a minimum of 30 hours we will be happy to provide you with a character reference.
Will I need references? Expand All roles will require a minimum of one reference. We will ask you to provide details of your referees. They must be at least 18 years old and should have known you for at least six months. Each referee should be willing to provide us with a reference and know that we will be contacting them.
I have a disability; can I volunteer for St Raphael's? Expand We would like to hear from anyone interested in volunteering with St Raphael’s, including anyone living with a disability.
I am an asylum seeker. Can I volunteer? Expand Yes, if you are applying for asylum you can volunteer at St Raphael’s.
I’m a refugee. Can I volunteer? Expand Yes, everyone who has a refugee status can volunteer at St Raphael’s