Our Volunteer roles

At the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, our volunteers make a huge difference every single day. With more than 50 volunteer roles across our Trust, there are lots of ways to get involved and support our patients, visitors and staff.

Our volunteering mission is simple: Giving time freely to enhance the care and holistic wellbeing of NNUH patients and staff.

We are proud to offer meaningful, high-quality volunteering opportunities that truly make an impact. Because our roles involve dedicated training, support and safe recruitment processes, we ask volunteers to commit to one four-hour shift each week for a minimum of six months.

We understand this is a significant commitment, so we aim to make volunteering as flexible, enjoyable and rewarding as possible.

Ways you can volunteer with us:

Meet and Greet Services

Our Meet and Greet volunteers are often the first friendly face people see when they arrive at the hospital.

Hospitals can feel overwhelming and difficult to navigate so our volunteers are on hand in their red uniforms to provide directions, answer questions and help visitors feel more at ease.

If you enjoy meeting people and being at the heart of hospital life, this could be the perfect role for you.

Reception Services

With over one million appointments, admissions and procedures every year, our reception areas are some of the busiest parts of the hospital.

Reception volunteers help provide a warm welcome and support patients and visitors with:

• General enquiries
• Directions around the hospital
• Parking ticket validation
• Information about transport and facilities

Their friendly support helps people feel more confident and comfortable during their visit.

Patient Buggy

The Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital is a large and busy site, and for some patients, particularly those with reduced mobility or health conditions affecting their ability to walk longer distances, travelling between departments can be physically challenging and stressful.

Our Patient Buggy Volunteers help patients and visitors travel safely and comfortably around the hospital site using an electric buggy service.

This service helps improve accessibility and patient experience by transporting clinically well patients between key locations including:

• The Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC)
• The Quadram Building
• The main hospital building
• The public multi-storey car park

Volunteers in this role will:

• Safely operate an electric buggy along a designated hospital route
• Collect and transport patients and visitors between agreed pick-up points
• Ensure passengers board and leave the buggy safely
• Offer a friendly, welcoming and reassuring presence during journeys

This role is ideal for volunteers who enjoy meeting people, being outdoors and providing practical support that makes a genuine difference to a patient’s day.

Supporting Our Wards

Hospital wards are busy environments and can sometimes feel stressful or unfamiliar for patients, particularly older people or those living with mobility or cognitive difficulties.

Ward volunteers provide valuable companionship and practical support by:

• Chatting with patients
• Helping with activities to reduce deconditioning
• Supporting patients at mealtimes
• Restocking supplies

These small acts of kindness can make a big difference to someone’s hospital stay.

Supporting Clinics

Our outpatient clinics welcome thousands of patients every week across many specialities including radiology, cardiology, dermatology, oncology, respiratory medicine and eye clinics.

Clinic volunteers help create a calm and welcoming environment by:

• Directing patients and visitors
• Managing waiting times
• Offering reassurance and conversation
• Restocking supplies
• Supporting with filing and photocopying
• Collecting scans, post and documents

For those looking to volunteer in a clinical setting that is a little removed from the inpatient environment, our clinics can be a fantastic option.

Bleep Buddies

Our Bleep Buddies are flexible volunteers who support teams across the whole hospital wherever help is needed most.

Carrying a hospital DECT phone, Bleep Buddies respond to requests from staff for support with tasks such as:

• Escorting patients
• Delivering notes and documents
• Finding wheelchairs
• Helping with admin tasks
• Distributing posters and leaflets

No two shifts are ever the same, making this a varied and rewarding role.

Administrative and Clerical Support

Behind every busy hospital is a huge amount of important administrative work.

Volunteers in these roles help staff by supporting tasks such as:

• Filing and organising documents
• Preparing patient packs
• Photocopying
• Envelope filling
• Basic data input

These roles are ideal for volunteers who enjoy organisation and helping behind the scenes.

Patient Experience Volunteers

Patient feedback helps us to improve the care and services we provide.

Patient Experience volunteers work alongside our Patient Experience Team to gather feedback from patients on wards. Using iPads to complete surveys, volunteers spend time listening to patients and helping us better understand their experiences.

This role is ideal for compassionate people who enjoy conversation and making a positive impact through listening.

Volunteer Drivers

Our volunteer drivers play an important role in supporting speedier and smoother patient discharge from hospital.

Volunteer drivers help with a wide range of non-clinical tasks that support patients to return home safely and comfortably, while also helping reduce unnecessary overnight stays.

This can include:

• Driving non-complex patients home after discharge
• Delivering mobility equipment and medications
• Collecting and delivering Virtual Ward kits
• Bringing patients into hospital for day treatment appointments
• Supporting patients to avoid overnight admissions where possible
• Volunteers may also spend time reassuring patients, helping with belongings and ensuring patients feel comfortable and supported throughout their journey.

Our vehicles are fully equipped, and all journeys are logged to ensure both volunteers and patients feel safe and supported at all times.

Settle-in Service

Returning home after a hospital stay can feel daunting, especially for older people or those living alone.

Our Settle-in Service volunteers help patients feel confident and comfortable when they return home by supporting with simple tasks such as:

• Unpacking belongings
• Collecting a few essential groceries
• Preparing a light meal
• Checking heating and hot water
• Identifying potential safety concerns

This community-based role is flexible and arranged according to referrals in the volunteer’s local area.

Telephone Roles

Our Telephone Volunteers provide valuable support to patients both before and after their hospital appointments, helping improve patient experience, wellbeing and access to care.

These roles offer reassurance, practical support and a friendly voice at what can often be an anxious or vulnerable time for patients.

Pre – Appointment Calls:

Volunteers contact patients by telephone a few days before their appointment to help them feel prepared and confident about attending.

Volunteers support patients by:

• Helping them prepare for their appointment
• Identifying any barriers to attendance
• Answering general questions and offering reassurance
• Helping reduce non-attendance and last-minute cancellations
• Supporting staff productivity, particularly within booking teams

This service contributes to a reduction in missed appointments and improves the overall patient journey.

Welfare & Safety Volunteers:

Our Welfare & Safety Volunteers make supportive follow-up calls to patients after they have been discharged home from hospital.

These friendly check-in calls help identify any concerns early and ensure patients feel safe, supported and able to manage at home.

Volunteers may ask:

• How was your first night home?
• Do you have any concerns or worries?
• Are you managing to wash and dress yourself?
• Are you able to prepare meals?
• Do you have access to food shopping?
• Are you managing household tasks and bills?

Any concerns identified are referred to your Volunteer Co-ordinator, who can arrange additional support, advice or signposting to appropriate services.

These calls provide reassurance, comfort and practical support at an important stage in a patient’s recovery journey.

Butterfly Volunteers

Butterfly Volunteers provide compassionate companionship and emotional support to patients receiving palliative and end-of-life care, as well as comfort and reassurance to their families and loved ones.

Working alongside ward staff and the Palliative Care Team, Butterfly Volunteers support the shared vision that:

“No-one should die alone in our care.”

This deeply meaningful role involves spending time with patients during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives, offering a calm and comforting presence when it matters most.

Volunteers may support patients and families by:

• Offering compassionate companionship and emotional support
• Sitting at the bedside of patients in their final days and hours
• Holding a patient’s hand, talking, listening or simply being present
• Playing calming music or creating a peaceful environment
• Supporting and reassuring family members during difficult times
• Acting as a bridge between families and clinical teams where appropriate
• Helping families access additional support services, including:
• Free parking
• Meal vouchers
• Bereavement services
• Chaplaincy support

The kindness, comfort and reassurance provided by our Butterfly Volunteers is greatly valued by patients, families and staff alike, helping ensure that nobody feels alone during this important stage of care.

Therapeutic Services

These Volunteers provide comfort, companionship and emotional wellbeing support to patients, carers and staff through a range of calming and supportive therapies.

Our roles focus on improving wellbeing, reducing anxiety and helping create positive moments for people during what can often be a difficult or stressful time.

Therapeutic Care Volunteers

Our Therapeutic Care Volunteers offer gentle hand and arm massage to patients, carers and staff to promote relaxation and wellbeing.

These calming sessions can:

• Encourage relaxation
• Support emotional wellbeing
• Help reduce stress and anxiety
• Promote comfort and restful sleep

The massage provided is a light-touch therapy and does not involve deep tissue massage or limb manipulation, making it a safe and soothing complementary therapy that can be offered alongside medical treatment.

These small moments of care and connection can make a meaningful difference to wellbeing during a hospital stay.

Pets As Therapy Volunteers

Our PAT (Pets As Therapy) dogs and their volunteer handlers bring comfort, companionship and joy to patients across the hospital.

Visits from therapy dogs can have a hugely positive impact on emotional wellbeing and often provide a welcome distraction from illness, treatment or anxiety.

PAT Dogs may help by:

• Providing therapeutic emotional support to patients
• Offering comfort and companionship to patients experiencing low mood
• Distracting and engaging children during hospital visits
• Bringing reassurance and familiarity to patients missing their own pets

If you have a friendly and well-behaved dog that you would like to be considered for hospital visiting, you can contact your local Pets As Therapy (PAT) service team. They will arrange to meet with you and your dog, explain the assessment process and talk you through the requirements for becoming a registered therapy dog visiting team.

Our Emergency Department Volunteers provide valuable support across a number of busy clinical areas including Majors, Minors, RATS, OPED, CHED and Ambulatory Care.

Emergency Department

Emergency Departments can often feel fast-paced, stressful and overwhelming for patients and families. Volunteers help create a calmer, more supportive environment while also assisting staff with practical tasks that help improve patient flow and experience.

Volunteers may support the department by:

• Escorting and transferring patients in wheelchairs
• Providing refreshments for patients and visitors
• Offering companionship and conversation
• Helping manage waiting time expectations
• Restocking supplies and equipment
• Making tannoy announcements for touchpoint cleaning
• Cleaning bed spaces to support patient flow
• Accompanying patients to X-ray appointments
• Providing one-to-one support for patients living with dementia
• Carrying out patient experience surveys
• Providing refreshments and wellbeing support for staff

These roles are varied, rewarding and make a real difference in one of the busiest areas of the hospital.

Mental Health Support Volunteers

Working alongside our Mental Health Team, Mental Health Support Volunteers provide compassionate, non-clinical support to patients experiencing mental health challenges or emotional distress while attending the Emergency Department.

Volunteers help provide a calm, reassuring and supportive presence for patients who may be feeling vulnerable, anxious or isolated.

This support may include:

• Offering companionship to patients experiencing a mental health episode
• Providing distraction and positive social interaction
• Signposting patients to community and wellbeing support services
• Offering companionship and support to homeless or socially isolated patients

Mental Health volunteers play an important role in helping patients feel listened to, supported and cared for during difficult moments.