Blackpool A&E volunteers celebrate Christmas with a party

Volunteers at the A & E Christmas Party (from left), Enfys Johnson, Denys Barber and Karen Chamberlain

Volunteers were thanked for supporting the work of the Emergency Department at Blackpool Victoria Hospital with a special Christmas party.

More than 20 volunteers popped into the party at various times over the lunch break on Friday, December 9.

People of all ages choose to volunteer in the department, from university students to people in their 80s.

Ward Clerk, Enfys Johnson, said: “The volunteers do the teas and coffees and chat with patients.

“Our volunteers also gather patient surveys such as the Friends and Family Test.

“The patients love talking to the volunteers – it’s a bit of company for them.”

Housekeeper in the Emergency Department, Karen Chamberlain, said: “The volunteers in A&E are very loyal.

Volunteers at the A&E Christmas party

“The staff really appreciate what the volunteers do. They’re very supportive.

“I was a volunteer before I got my job as a housekeeper in A&E.”

Denys Barber, a retired Modern Languages teacher who now volunteers in the Emergency Department, said: “It’s very rewarding to be a volunteer in A&E – you get a lot of appreciation for what you do from staff and patients.

“It can be demanding volunteering in A&E but it’s great because it’s like being part of a big family.”

Anyone interested in volunteering within Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust can contact Hannah Corless on: 01253 957638 or email Hannah.corless@bfwhospitals.nhs.uk

 

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