What our volunteers say

Driven to... Complete satisfaction!

Ron Oliver is a Driver Volunteer for KEMP Hospice and has been since 2000.

In his capacity as a Driver Volunteer, Ron helps out once a week, often as the first point of contact for patients coming to KEMP Hospice. If they need transport into Day Hospice, then Ron is on hand to collect them from home and then to drive them safely back again once their day at KEMP is over.

This is a regular weekly commitment for Ron, and one which he relishes as part of his week now he is retired. By receiving notification of his volunteer activity for the coming week from KEMP in advance, Ron can plan, so his role as Driver Volunteer fits perfectly into his other activities throughout the week.

"Volunteering for KEMP makes me truly feel part of the community, it's 'good for the soul' if you like, to be able to put something back," Ron smiles. "Meeting patients, people who are struggling against the odds in some cases, is very inspirational. In addition, I can do something productive and useful which stimulates my brain now I am retired," he adds.

In Ron's opinion, ideal qualities for volunteering with KEMP are patience, tactfulness, an understanding of other people and an ability to really listen. Ron gets huge satisfaction from his role and would highly recommend it to anyone. "If I stopped volunteering at KEMP Hospice, I would really miss it," Ron says.

Day Care and Admin

Yvonne Pathe is a Day care and admin Volunteer for KEMP

I joined KEMP in 2006; I was looking for a voluntary occupation that would give me the opportunity to meet people on a regular but flexible basis.

I am a Day Care and Admin Volunteer at Kidderminster. I thoroughly enjoy my time at KEMP whatever the role I am doing and appreciate being part of a great team.

If anybody is considering being a KEMP volunteer I can strongly recommend it. It is a most satisfying and humbling occupation, the rewards to me personally far out weigh the time I give.

Our Volunteer Hairdresser

Sharon Ganderton is our Volunteer Hairdresser

I have been a volunteer at KEMP for about 7 months. During this time, I have found KEMP a wonderful place to be, to volunteer my skills. I love doing the patients hair and love being a part of something that really adds quality to people’s lives. The patients always go away with a smile on their face. I get, as much out of volunteering as I put in and that is my reward. The staff and volunteers are always helpful and provide lots of support. I would say to anyone who is thinking about becoming a volunteer to just do it, if you have got any free time on your hands and want to put it to a good cause, phone up and get some more information on volunteering at KEMP, you won’t be disappointed.

Reception and Driver

Bob Powell volunteers at KEMP as a driver and a receptionist

‘When I took early retirement, now nearly ten years ago, I decided that I wanted to put something back into the community, and so I looked for ways of fulfilling this objective. It was not long before I decided to offer my services as a ‘driver’ to KEMP. Having completed the initial training I was soon out on the road collecting my first patient. Within a few short months I found that I was getting a lot of satisfaction out of this voluntary work, and I began looking for ways to become more involved and also joined the receptionist team.
May I suggest that if you have a couple of hours to spare a week, that you might consider joining the volunteers at KEMP, whose mission is to ensure that the patients continue to get the most out of their lives.’

Check back soon to hear what other volunteers say about volunteering at KEMP!