Volunteers, staff and service representatives recently came together for a special celebration event, reflecting on the incredible impact volunteering continues to have across our Trust.

Since launching our volunteering project in 2023, the programme has gone from strength to strength. Today, 56 volunteers are supporting services across the Trust, contributing their time, skills and compassion to make a real difference. Volunteers are currently involved in 24 projects and can be found across all four Black Country boroughs, supporting patients, service users and teams in every corner of our communities.

The event provided an opportunity to share success stories from services that host volunteers, highlighting the positive impact volunteers have on patient experience, wellbeing and community connection. Attendees also heard inspiring personal stories from volunteers themselves, including a moving poem from one volunteer who beautifully captured what volunteering means to them and the difference it has made in their life.

The celebration also recognised some remarkable achievements. Our longest-serving volunteer has now contributed an impressive 755 days of service, while 18 volunteers have successfully progressed into paid employment since joining the programme – demonstrating how volunteering can provide valuable experience, confidence and opportunities for personal growth.

As well as celebrating success, the event looked to the future. Volunteers worked together to provide feedback, ideas and suggestions that will help shape the next chapter of the Trust’s volunteering journey.

Ruby Jarvis, Volunteer Coordinator, said: “It was wonderful to bring everyone together and celebrate everything our volunteers have achieved. The stories shared during the event reminded us of the real difference volunteers make every day. We are incredibly proud of how far the programme has come since 2023 and are excited to continue growing and developing volunteering opportunities with the help of our volunteers’ feedback and experiences.”

The event was a powerful reminder of the dedication, kindness and community spirit that our volunteers bring to the Trust, and of the exciting future ahead for volunteering across the Black Country.

Find out more about volunteering at https://www.blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk/volunteering