Areas of volunteering

This information provides you with basic information about the voluntary work at Overgate Hospice and may help you decide which area(s) you are interested in, although there are not always vacancies in all these areas.  Please phone the Volunteer Co-ordinator, for up to date information on areas where we need volunteers.

Volunteer Co-Ordinator, 01422 387121

Volunteers represent Overgate Hospice in the community, by attending fundraising events, accepting cheques on behalf of the Hospice and publicly speaking and thanking the donors. Full training and support will be given.

Our Complementary Therapy team uses qualified and insured therapists to help with aromatherapy, massage and reflexology.

If you are a qualified counsellor (or student in your final year of HND) then occasionally we have spaces on the team to offer counselling –both bereavement and pre-bereavement.

Overgate currently runs a Day Hospice on three days per week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday from 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m, with Thursday and Friday being a therapeutic support day.

We have one ‘hospitality’ volunteer each day (once a fortnight) helping in Day Hospice, making drinks, talking to patients and helping with general activities. We also offer a range of activities for our patients and have one ‘craft’ volunteer each day.

There are also opportunities for people (not registered) to attend Day Hospice for one session to entertain our patient or speak to them about a subject of interest.

We require careful drivers to bring our patients to Day Hospice and take them home again (Upper age limit of 70yrs.)

Groups meet in Brighouse, Halifax, Elland, Sowerby Bridge & Todmorden on a regular basis.  They are a vital part of Overgate's fundraising and organise events in their own areas, as well as supporting Overgate's main events.

Volunteers are required to help with fundraising; this could be flag days, stalls at garden parties etc. calendar distribution, Christmas cards sales or rattling collection tins at organised events. 

If you don’t feel like ‘being in the front line’ there are several ways in which you can help in fundraising e.g. if you were happy to use your car occasionally to help, then we have posters and information leaflets that need distributing around your local area and in public buildings etc.  (Mileage expenses are paid) 

In fundraising, we require volunteers to help on a regular basis and also for one-off events like the garden party, sponsored and annual events.

Volunteers help maintain our gardens mainly during the summer and tidying the gardens in autumn.

Volunteers help our housekeeping team on the Inpatient Unit one morning a week or fortnight from 10.00 – 12.30.  Duties include making patients drinks, talking to patients, helping to keep our flower/plant displays looking well and healthy, some light cleaning and assisting with laundry duties (nothing heavy!)

Volunteers support the nurses on the ward between 5.00p.m and 7.00p.m. Tasks are varied and include making drinks and chatting to patients and visitors. No nursing tasks are performed. 

Volunteers are needed to help with basic kitchen work, either one morning session a week (10:00-12:30), or one tea-time session, washing up (5:00-7:00).You will be required to attend an in-house basic food hygiene session.  

Receptionists work on a rota (one shift per week) during weekdays, weekends or evenings. Good interpersonal and telephone skills are essential.  The reception desk is the first port of call for most people visiting the hospice; therefore a warm and welcoming manner is required.  Rota times are:   9.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.,   1.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.,   5.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.  Seven days a week. 

If you have use of a car and can spare a half or full day weekly/fortnightly then we need drivers to collect donated goods from peoples' homes around Calderdale and deliver to our shops.  (Mileage expenses will be paid)

We currently have eleven shops; Hebden Bridge, King Cross, Ovenden, Sowerby Bridge, Elland, Todmorden, Halifax and Brighouse.  We also have our Designer Wear and Hat Shop in Brighouse, coupled with our Furniture shop located also in Brighouse and a pound shop in Sowerby Bridge.   We require people to help in the shops with sorting out donated bags of items,  pricing up, steaming, displaying and selling. For more information on our shops please click here. 

Volunteers serve afternoon teas to our in-patients and their relatives every afternoon.  The times for this are approximately 2.15 p.m. to 3.30 p.m.  You will be required to attend an in-house basic food hygiene session.

We are very fortunate at the Hospice to have over 450 volunteers in a variety of roles meaning that often our volunteer roles are full. Therefore we are currently recruiting volunteers in the following areas;

• Shop Work
• Fundraising Events
• Friends Groups
• Kitchen
• Hospice Ambassadors