This year, St Teresa’s Hospice marks its 40th anniversary, celebrating decades of care, compassion, and community support. At the heart of the hospice’s success are its dedicated volunteers, who have played a vital role in supporting patients, families, and staff throughout the years.
We took some time to speak to one long-standing volunteer, Aileen, about her time here with St Teresa’s Hospice.
Aileen began her journey as volunteer coordinator in 1996 and has witnessed the hospice’s evolution from its early days at Harewood House to the development of the state-of-the-art Woodlands facility.
“I first came to the hospice looking for a worthwhile project while completing a college course,” Aileen recalls. “I had to write 10,000 words and needed a job but didn’t have one. I wanted to do a job that was worthwhile and wanted to work for a charity. I asked the hospice if they had anything I could do as a project, and I ended up helping the hospice at home team and the recruitment team.”
“After the project, I was asked to continue and was given the opportunity to help with volunteer recruitment. Because I still had children at home, I only had 12 hours a week to give, but they were happy with that and allowed me to be flexible. Over the years, my role grew alongside the hospice, and it’s been a privilege to support so many people in different ways.”
Aileen has been instrumental in shaping the hospice’s volunteer services. From day hospice and inpatient care to community outreach, gardening, retail, and even recruiting volunteer drivers, she has ensured that every aspect of patient and family care is supported.
Since 2000, Aileen has been volunteering with our Family Support and Bereavement Team. She completed some training with a counsellor at the hospice and helped with drop-in sessions and seeing people at home, running groups and one-to-one sessions, helping people navigate life after loss. More recently, Aileen has also been helping the MS group each week.
“The care in the hospice is hugely different compared to the care provided in a hospital setting or even a care home, as they often don’t have the time to sit with people and listen. I think it is a big benefit of having volunteers here who have the capability and time. I think they really make a huge difference in terms of support you get at the hospice, in so many ways.”
Aileen’s contributions extend behind the scenes as well. With a background in NHS catering, she introduced systems to ensure patients were well-fed and comfortable, from the bedside meal service to table settings at the day hospice. Her efforts highlight the hospice’s ethos of personalised care.
“Volunteers make a huge difference in supporting the hospice and our patients,” Aileen explains. “They provide the extra time and care that staff might not always be able to give. It’s about listening, being alongside someone, and understanding that every visit matters.”
As the hospice celebrates four decades of service, the focus remains on the people who make it possible – the volunteers, staff, and community who have contributed to its mission of compassionate care.
