Volunteers dedicate more than 13,000 hours to NHS Trust

And the Ophthalmology Department has seen a significant decrease in their ‘did not attend’ rate thanks to a new role reminding patients about their appointments.

Gursharan Kaur, Volunteer Service Manager, explained: “Last year has been busy for our service.

“We worked hard to create new roles to support exciting new projects, from raising awareness of our new patient app MyChart to assisting patients, families and visitors with wayfinding following the closure of our main entrance at our Children’s Hospital.

“We were also the first hospital chosen to launch the Ward Buddy Scheme, where a group of 20 volunteers support children and families with their wellbeing.”

Coming into hospital can be daunting, but having people offering support to families can enhance their journey and experience.

Fionna Flynn, Operational Support Manager for Paediatric Ophthalmology, said: “Volunteers are worth their weight in gold and we appreciate everything they have done to support our department. Our ‘did not attend’ rate is decreasing thanks to their help with appointment reminder calls which is fantastic.”

Volunteering roles range from ward and chaplaincy support, which involves spending time with patients and families, to clinical and admin support to help with essential duties across various departments.

The Women’s Hospital Infant Feeding Team shared: "Our volunteers are invaluable to the maternity infant feeding team. The admin role allows our team to concentrate on our women, allowing us to support more families, while our peer support role allows them to use their own lived experience to offer a unique level of empathy and reassurance, building the confidence of new parents."

BWC saw numbers of volunteers grow last year in part thanks to the partner agencies they work with. These include Noah’s Star, an independent charity supporting the siblings of sick and premature babies, Radio Lollipop, who provide play and entertainment for children and young people in hospital and Pets As Therapy, a charity aiming to enhance health and wellbeing through interaction with animals.

Lisa Perrett, Family Support and Play Facilitator on Ward 7 said of Pets As Therapy: “Friday afternoons are our favourite thanks to Karen and Benny. Karen is lovely and always remembers our patients by name and Benny is the calmest, most gentle dog who truly loves visiting the children. The smiles say it all - and yes, the staff love giving him a stroke too.”

With last year being such a success, the Volunteering Service is looking forward to an even more exciting 2026.

Gursharan added: “We are excited for what the year ahead will bring, including working closely with new partners such as the Charity-funded MediCinema and Make a Wish UK. We’re really looking forward to continuing to help make a positive difference to the experience of patients, families and staff.”

Interested in volunteering with Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS FT? Find out when applications open for new volunteers.