• Bolton NHS Foundation Trust is celebrating Volunteers’ Week 2025 (2-8 June)
• 394 volunteers at Trust contributed more than 13,000 hours in past year
• New opportunities to volunteer at Royal Bolton Hospital in a huge range of roles

Volunteers have contributed more than 13,000 hours to support staff and patients at Royal Bolton Hospital in the past year.

The new figures have been released by Bolton NHS Foundation Trust to mark Volunteers’ Week (2-8 June), which celebrates the contributions of volunteers and provides a platform to thank them for their invaluable efforts.

The Trust has 394 volunteers who give up their time to take part in a huge range of roles that suit all types of interests and skills.

These roles include providing a warm welcome and offering helpful directors, being a dining companion or providing support on the hospital wards.

James Mawrey, Chief People Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said:

Our volunteers are incredibly special and we want to say a huge thank you to all of them for the support and kindness they show to our patients, families and staff.

“Their generosity makes a huge difference, whether it’s being a listening ear and talking to our patients when they’re feeling anxious or boosting the morale of our staff with cups of tea and support. Volunteering at the hospital is a great way of being there for our communities.

“There are also personal benefits to volunteering as it can provide new skills and create opportunities in the NHS. We encourage anyone who is interested in becoming a volunteer to visit our website and become a part of something really special.

To mark Volunteers’ Week, some of the Trust’s volunteers have shared what it means to them to volunteer, including Mansha Shaikh, who first started in July 2024.

I have loved being able to learn about communicating with staff and patients. It’s so much better to be doing something than being at home doing nothing.

I have found it very beneficial for personal and professional development, socialising with others. Being of the community is the best part.

I’m able to serve refreshments, look after patients and assist them with that extra bit of help they need. I help with giving staff a boost too with refreshments.

“I come to the hospital every Tuesday for four hours to be a listening ear for patients, making sure they have someone to speak to, offering reassurance and comfort. We can help distract them when they’re feeling anxious.

Blessing Obaji also volunteers her time to help give back to others:

I like to help people, give the little I can to make the world a better place. Volunteering gives me that opportunity.

I enjoy seeing smiles on the faces of patients. I want to do as much as I can for them, I love to see them happy and see them smile. It gives me joy when I volunteer on a Friday. I love being able to see them get ready to return home and be with their loved ones.

The Trust’s youngest volunteer is 16-years-old, whilst the oldest is 90. In January, the Trust celebrated volunteer Edna Carlisle, who turned 90. Edna regularly provides support to staff and patients in the Churchill Unit.

 

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Edna said:

It was loneliness at home that first motivated me to start volunteering at the hospital. It’s lovely to volunteer because at the end of the day you feel as though you have made a difference, no matter how big or small.

Volunteers touch the lives of thousands of patients through their kindness and generosity every year. To capture what they mean to our communities, Our Bolton NHS Charity have created an online dedication page for people to leave their messages of thanks.

For more information about how to become a volunteer and the opportunities currently available, visit the Trust’s website.