Why volunteer with us

Our volunteers support patients, families, and staff across our hospitals—bringing compassion, energy, and a helping hand wherever it’s needed most.

Volunteer Role

Volunteers play a vital role in our hospitals, making a real difference to the experience of patients, their families, and our staff. Whether offering a friendly face, a helping hand, or simply a listening ear, our volunteers bring compassion and kindness into every corner of our care.

Volunteering is a rewarding way to give back, build confidence, and use your time and skills to support others. Many of our volunteers are inspired to get involved because of their own experiences – or those of loved ones – within our hospitals. As a volunteer you will offer an extra helping hand with non-clinical tasks. From making a patient a cup of tea, to offering a relaxing hand massage, these small acts of kindness make a huge difference.

All of our roles are patient-facing, so whichever you choose, you will be making a difference to patient experience.Some of our main volunteering roles are detailed below:

  • Meet and Greet/Clinics- greeting patients as they enter the hospitals, offering directions and support pushing wheelchairs
  • Driving our buggy to transport patients to appointments
  • Ward support- supporting with tea rounds and at mealtimes
  • Library- working as a team to deliver a mobile library service to ward patients
  • Patient visiting- talking and listening to patients
  • Hairdressing & pampering- washing and styling patients hair, offering hand massage to patients
  • Shop Trolley (Glenfield Hospital only)- working as a team to deliver a mobile newsagent service to patients
  • Emergency Department (Leicester Royal only)- offering information and support to patients in the “walk-in” area of the ED

We recruit volunteers for roles where they are most needed and open applications based on those needs. Recruitment for certain roles may open or close at different times throughout the year.

What can volunteering offer you?

  • A meaningful way to support your local NHS
  • The chance to meet new people and be part of a team
  • An opportunity to gain valuable experience and skills
  • A positive and active way to spend your time
  • Personal satisfaction from helping others

What do we look for in our volunteers?

  • A caring, kind and empathetic approach
  • Good communication and people skills
  • Commitment and reliability – we ask for a minimum commitment of one session per week for at least 6 months
  • A willingness to help where needed
  • A clear understanding of the volunteer role

Volunteering roles

VALE provides company to patients in the last days or hours of their lives providing emotional support, companionship and friendship to patients and families. Holding a hand, reading, playing a favourite song or just being present will help to make a difference.

Find more information for the VALE volunteer role on this page.

Do you have a registered therapy dog who could support our patients? Due to high demand, we are looking for additional volunteers to bring in their therapy dogs on a weekly basis, offering comfort and company to patients who may be missing their own pets. To do this role, you need to have therapy dog registered with Pets as Therapy or a similar organisation.

Please complete our registration of interest form if you would like to help.

The Chaplaincy Team support patients, families and the Hospital staff community across the Glenfield Hospital, General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary through their blend of pastoral, spiritual and religious care. Chaplaincy Volunteers play an important part in supporting the work of the Chaplains by giving their valuable time to be alongside patients, offering a compassionate listening presence across the hospital wards.

The Chaplains based in each of the hospital sites will support the volunteers through local inductions, regular contact and ongoing opportunities for reflection and skills development. 

Like other ward visiting volunteer roles, Chaplaincy Volunteers are generally based in a specific hospital and typically attend at times when ward visiting is at its most impactful – from after 10am until 4pm and usually volunteer for a few hours. Chaplaincy volunteers are expected to adhere to all requirements of the Volunteer Service as well as those of the Chaplaincy Service. 

 To apply to become a chaplaincy volunteer please call Chaplaincy on 0116 258 5487 or email: [email protected].

We are looking for a small number of volunteers to support with the running of the Macmillan Information Centre at Leicester Royal Infirmary. Volunteers will play a vital role in creating a welcoming and supportive environment for patients affected by cancer and their families.

You would be helping with tasks like welcoming patients to the centre and making up information packs. We are looking for volunteers who are friendly, approachable and motivated to help people affected by cancer. If you are interested in this specific role, please contact Dal- 0116 258 6189.