In 2022/23 we committed £200,000 of new funding to support King’s Volunteers to expand and strengthen their role right at the heart of King’s hospitals.
Eight years of volunteering
Tackling loneliness and boredom
Long stays in hospital can lead to increased patient boredom and anxiety, exacerbating what is already a stressful experience. Our brilliant volunteers have been helping patients use our new entertainment portal, a digital space where patients can access digitised magazines, games, radio and TV channels. Young volunteers have played a particularly vital role in distributing tablet devices and supporting thousands of patients to use entertainment system.
Volunteers, like Rachel Bowyer, play a huge role in making the hospital environment feel less bewildering and intimidating. As well as providing logistical support, they help people feel at ease and take the time to sit with patients who are experiencing distress or isolation.
Thanks to funding we secured from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and NHS Charities Together through the Volunteer Futures Fund, we are now able to support more young people from local schools to overcome barriers that can prevent them from getting involved and reaping the rewards of volunteering.
With a wide cross-section of volunteers from all over London and Kent, King's wanted to increase the number of opportunities available, especially for young people interested in a career in healthcare who might be unaware of the opportunities open to them. So, the recruitment team focus on students who are working towards a BTEC qualification in Health and Social Care – typically a less conventional route into a career in healthcare.
Their Youth Engagement Coordinator works with teachers and work experience coordinators to identify and refer young people and provide pastoral care for those who would most benefit from volunteering to improve their skills and confidence.
