Volunteering

Location: Heathside Centre, Coxheath, Maidstone, ME17 4AH

We’re looking for friendly volunteers to welcome and support patients visiting the Heathside Centre.

In this role, you’ll greet visitors, help them find their way, answer simple queries, offer refreshments, and provide a reassuring, friendly presence while they wait. You may also support clinic areas, help with light tasks such as sorting post and keeping the kitchen area looking presentable.

We’re looking for people who are approachable, reliable, able to work independently and confident speaking with others.

This role is based in a busy site with many services and visitors. There is no reception based in this building, but the team are very close by in a building near for support. A full induction and training are provided to all our volunteers.

What we offer: Full training, ongoing support, and a rewarding opportunity to make a difference in your community.

Time commitment: Two hours per week, you can pick your own shift anytime Monday to Friday, 9am to 12noon.

Help us create a welcoming experience for everyone who visits us.

Our wellbeing day centre is looking for people to come and volunteer to support with the programmes therapeutic activities. This includes topical discussions, daily national newspapers, quizzes and games, crafts and much more. Clients benefit from social interaction, while the centre offers some respite for carers and relatives. On some days there is also a visiting pets as therapy dog. The centre supports people with long-term conditions, dementia and elderly people who need support to better care for themselves.

Susan Reason gardener volunteer

Would you like to get involved in giving something back to your local community hospital? Our garden volunteers are a friendly group of volunteers who maintain and transform the beautiful gardens at Victoria Hospital, Deal. They ensure that the grounds can be enjoyed by patients, staff, visitors and the local Deal community.

You do not have to be a garden expert; you only need enthusiasm to get involved. This is also an ideal opportunity if you would like to learn gardening skills alongside other volunteers.

If you would like more information, please complete an interest form in the first instance or give our team a call. We always offer a tour or taster session for any perspective volunteers.

Do you have strong communication skills and enjoy supporting people? We are looking for chatty and compassionate individuals to volunteer providing companionship on our stroke rehabilitation wards.

This role is based at Westbrook House, Margate or Tonbridge Cottage Hospital.

The role is flexible between the hours of 11am to 4pm Monday to Sunday (minimum two-hour shift).

To find out more information please visit Westbrook House or Tonbridge Community Hospital.

Volunteer facilitators are vital to the success of the Expert Patients Programme (EPP) and make a difference to people living with one or more long-term health conditions.

If you would like to be a facilitator, you need to:

1. Be living with a long-term health condition or to have close personal experience of someone who lives with a long-term health condition.
2. Have the time available to attend the training (two 2-hour, 30-minute sessions a week, for seven weeks).
3. Have good listening skills.
4. Be able to commit to delivering at least one course a year.
5. Be able to work with a small group of people and build a rapport with them.
6. Be ready to learn new ways of approaching long-term health conditions.
7. Be an effective communicator.

Find out how to apply for the role.

Would you like the opportunity to help your local hospital in a special and unique way? The catering team at Hawkhurst, Kent has an exciting sustainability project where the service produces home grown fruit and vegetables. So far, the plot has produced tomatoes, strawberries, courgettes, lettuce, spring onion, potatoes, broad and runner beans. The garden not only provides produce for patient meals, but helps patients and colleagues mental and physical wellbeing too.

We are looking for individuals who would like to volunteer some of their time to make a difference and help this wonderful project. So, if you could spare some time each week, and you like the idea of getting involved with some gardening please get in touch with our voluntary services.

This is a flexible and exciting opportunity to support our staff in a non-clinical role across various areas of the service. One day you could be supporting on the wards playing board games with a patient and the next providing support with the discharge process.

If you are local to one of our community hospitals, have a couple of hours a week or fortnight to spare and enjoy interacting with people then we’d like to hear from you. This is a rewarding role and chance to support in our community hospitals with the benefit of NHS training and engagement.

We are looking for volunteers at the following sites: Westview (Tenterden), Whitstable, Hawkhurst, Westbrook (Margate) and Tonbridge.

To find out more information about our hospitals please visit: Community hospitals (kentcht.nhs.uk)

Please complete an interest form if you’d like to apply to volunteer at one of the above hospitals.

Based at Buckland Hospital Dover, this rewarding meet-and-greet volunteer role supports our Community Child Health Team, where you’ll be the friendly face that sets the tone for families arriving at the service. Based upstairs, you’ll help guide visitors by buzzing them into our waiting areas and offering a warm, reassuring welcome. You’ll also work closely with our admin and reception teams, providing valuable support wherever it’s needed. Our team has busy and quieter periods, so we’re looking for volunteers who can be flexible with their availability (two hour shifts between 10am to 2pm Mon-Fri). In return, you’ll gain invaluable experience, meet a supportive team, and play a key role in helping children and families feel comfortable and cared for from the moment they arrive.

There is a free car park off site and residential areas, or you can pay for parking at the hospital which we will re-imburse for you. Unfortunately, there is no free parking on site, as this hospital is managed by another trust.