NHS England figures published today, during national Volunteers Week show that 71,828 people volunteered in NHS trusts in the last year donating over 6.4 million hours of their time.
Here in Lancashire, Samuel is one of those volunteers, who regularly gives up his own time to volunteer as a dining buddy and befriender. Last year we received over 8039 hours of volunteering which is an average of 154 hours per week.
Samuel moved to Blackpool from Aberdeen in the middle of 2024, he currently visits The Harbour three days a week volunteering between six and nine hours of his time working with dementia patients.
In his role as a dining buddy, Samuel provides crucial mealtime support. He assists with meal distribution, helps patients make menu choices, and ensures that meals are manageable by cutting food into smaller, more accessible portions. Samuel also plays an active role in hydration, participating in the tea trolley routine to keep patients refreshed and engaged.
Samuel shares:
“I find volunteering so rewarding, I always want to make people smile and bring joy to them and I feel fortunate that through volunteering I’m able to do that. I’ve always enjoyed spending time with people and have long admired the older generation, especially their goodwill, advice, and prayers, which I experienced growing up in Nigeria. So I’m not surprised I’ve found myself working with older adults.”
As a befriender, Samuel’s support extends beyond mealtimes. He offers companionship around the dining tables and afterwards, engaging in activities such as playing dominoes, watching television in communal areas, participating in occupational therapy sessions, doing arts and crafts, going for walks, or simply sitting, talking and being a companion.
Samuel continues:
“I’m grateful that volunteering allows me to spend quality time building relationships with the patients at The Harbour. I’ve worked in care settings before, but volunteering gives you more time to have meaningful conversations and ask lots of questions. I find it fascinating listening to people’s stories, especially the memories of holidays. These stories are so precious in later life, and I’ve seen the real difference my presence makes to some of the patients.
I don’t measure success in monetary terms, but believe in giving back through humanitarian service. I might not be wealthy in a financial sense but I can give back to society by donating my time and care. I would encourage anybody who is thinking about volunteering to give it a try as you might find that you love it! It could be the best pathway in securing permanent employment with the trust and you never know the recommendations that follow you might be life-changing.”
Samuel’s passion and dedication exemplify the spirit of volunteering. He brings warmth, care, and connection to every patient he meets, making a lasting impact one smile at a time.
Michelle Hawkins, Ward Manager said:
“Samuel is invaluable to our ward, he is consistent and reliable and he always has a big smile on his face. He engages with patients in a wonderful manner, his engagement and interactions make such a big difference to our patients especially at busy times. Samuel spends his time with patients and supports and encourages their fluid and dietary needs.
Samuel has always shown enthusiasm and has undertaken additional training with our speech and language team giving him more confidence, he makes such a big difference and brings smiles to everyone he meets.”
We have a variety of other volunteer roles across the trust including activity support volunteers, meet and greet volunteers, peer support volunteers, admin support volunteers, Grow Your Own and friends and family test volunteers.
Darren Harris, Volunteer Coordinator added:
“We would like to say an enormous thank you to all our volunteers. The support you give us is truly appreciated and the impact you have on patients, families and colleagues is immeasurable. Your skills, dedication, experience and compassion epitomise what volunteering is and demonstrate how much you embody the Trust’s values.”
To find out more about becoming a volunteer at LSCft, please visit the volunteering page on our website.
