Elaine Page backs urgent call for Crawley hospital trolley volunteers

The leading volunteering charity is issuing a call for more people in West Sussex to sign up to get behind the wheels, and volunteer in hospitals, with backing from ambassador Elaine Paige.

The welcome rumble of a Royal Voluntary Service trolley will once again be heard in the hallways of Crawley Hospital after pandemic restrictions put the service on pause in 2020.

However, the charity needs to recruit many new retail volunteers at speed in order to continue to support patients, staff, and visitors in Crawley.

Volunteers are needed not only on the trolley service at Crawley Hospital, but also to support the Royal Voluntary Service shop and café within the hospital. At the shop and café, as well as serving customers, volunteers ensure that they are always greeted by a friendly face who’s there to listen and chat, in what could be a difficult or uncertain time.

For those on the wards who can't make it to a hospital shop, Royal Voluntary Service trolley volunteers help bring the shop to them. They deliver newspapers, magazines, snacks, and lots of little extras that provide welcome pick-me-ups, bringing a warm smile and a bit of friendly conversation to help people through the long hospital day.

Royal Voluntary Service Ambassador Elaine Paige OBE said: “Having been behind a hospital trolley myself and seeing how the warm-hearted volunteers can raise patients’ spirits, I can only imagine how much they have been missed on wards over the past two years.

“Now that trolley services are back, I am urging people to see for themselves what a remarkable difference they can make to the wellbeing of someone who’s likely experiencing a difficult time.

“Donating your time to support others is a wonderful thing. You don’t have to have any special skills and you certainly don’t need to sing to patients as I did! Your time and compassion are enough to brighten someone’s day.”

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Trolley and retail volunteering are just two of the many rewarding roles Royal Voluntary Service is currently recruiting for. To find out more about volunteering to support the NHS in your area, visit: royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/volunteering/