Job overview

Make a Difference by Volunteering With Us

Every day, our volunteers help create a welcoming, caring environment for patients, visitors and staff across our hospitals. Whether you're offering a friendly face, providing practical support, or helping someone navigate their visit, your time can make a real difference to someone's day.

Volunteering is a rewarding way to give back to your community, meet new people, gain valuable experience, and become part of a supportive and dedicated team. No matter the role, you'll play an important part in enhancing the experience of those who rely on our services.

We are currently recruiting for a range of volunteer opportunities.

If you're passionate about helping others and would like to make a positive impact in your local NHS, we'd love to hear from you.

Please only apply if you are able to commit to a minimum of 3 hours per a week. 

How to apply:

Clearly state the role you are applying for in your application in supporting information – if you do not specify the preferred, sadly we cannot process your application.

Tell us which day and time (between Monday and Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm) you are available.

We receive many applications but can only accept a limited number of volunteers, so including all requested information is essential.

Main duties of the job

Northamptonshire Health Charity Volunteers:

Support the Oncology Patient Cafe, talk with patients and help promote the wonderful ways the charity brings comfort, extras and support to people across our hospitals.

Ward Volunteers: 

Bring companionship, kindness and a reassuring presence to our patients on the wards, help to reduce loneliness, support hydration, provide a listening ear and engage in friendly conversation.

Emergency Department (18+):

Offer a friendly face, calm reassurance and practical support to patients and relatives who may be anxious, overwhelmed or unexpectedly in hospital, helping to ease pressure and improve their experience. 

“The volunteers were really helpful, I’m grateful for your support.” – Northampton General Hospital Patient Feedback.

Response Volunteers:

Help keep the hospital moving by supporting collections, deliveries and requests across wards and departments. This is a varied, active role for someone who enjoys being busy, practical and part of a team.

Gardeners:

Help care for our hospital gardens, creating welcoming and peaceful outdoor spaces for patients, visitors, staff and volunteers. These gardens give patients somewhere calm to spend time away from the ward, support wellbeing and mental health, and provide a comfortable place to meet with family and friends.

Working for our organisation

Please submit your application as soon as possible, as we reserve the right to close adverts once sufficient applications have been received.

We recognise that AI tools can support application writing; however, candidates are asked to keep their use to a minimum. Responses should reflect your own experience, skills and knowledge, as over-reliance on AI-generated content may result in generic answers that do not accurately represent your abilities.

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) brings together Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust. As a group, we are committed to improving services for our communities through collaboration, modernising care delivery and striving for excellence. Working together enables us to share expertise, strengthen services and create greater opportunities, and there may be a requirement to work across sites depending on service needs.

Our Excellence Values are Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Integrity and Courage. UHN welcomes applications from all backgrounds and is committed to an inclusive working environment. We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and hold the Gold Award under the Employer Recognition Scheme. Candidates who identify as members of the Armed Forces community and meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview.