Volunteer news

A big thank you to everyone that took part in our 2024 survey, the results provided us with a useful understanding of how you are feeling and will help us plan what further improvements we can make to ensure you are getting an enriching and fulfilling volunteer experience.  

Some of the main highlights... 

• 15% of you have been with us for over 10 years!

• 45% of you are motivated to volunteer as you do something worthwhile

• You said we could improve on communications, checking in with how you are and activities volunteers could take part in

• You wanted to know more about trustees and ways you could feel more connected to the charity

• 44% of you said that you would like to know more about what the volunteer team are working on

• 24% of you offered support to come to a focus group to give your views and be part of finding solutions

If you are interested in the full survey results, please get in touch with the volunteer team. We will update you with all developments we have made in response to the survey and would welcome you to get in touch if you would like to be part of a focus group to help make these changes!

In December 2024, we were able to say a big thank you to volunteers that have been with LOROS for over 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years! It is remarkable that many of you have been with the charity for a very long time- we can’t show our appreciation enough. Many of the volunteers that attended the event had multiple volunteer roles within LOROS and spoke highly about the support received from fellow volunteers and staff that made them feel valued and motivated to continue.  

We awarded Paul Capewell and Christine Smith a 20-year Long Service Award for their dedication to our Lotteries Collection Team, they were amongst over 60 other volunteers that had received recognition this year.  

There are broadly 3 things Volunteer Transport Co-ordinators do: 

· Provide patient transport for Day Therapy, Outpatients and the ward

· Manage a volunteer workforce comprising 30 drivers 

· Maintain a fleet of six wheel-chair adapted vehicles 

Our volunteer drivers are the backbone of the service and we have a different team of drivers every day. 

Some drive LOROS vehicles, some their own vehicles and some both. The skill of the co-ordinator role is to marry together drivers and patients in a way that meets patients’ transport needs in the most cost- effective way. 

The hardest thing is to ensure there is constant liaison between transport and clinical staff so that both parties have the same information. If shared data is inaccurate then serious mistakes can occur. Patients can miss appointments, volunteers can be sent on wasted journeys, and resource is used unnecessarily.

The Volunteer Transport Co-ordinator role is very reactive, which makes it quite fun, but it can also feel quite unrelenting as every day presents a constant stream of patients to be transported. 

Volunteer drivers have their allocated day to drive but there is constant juggling to ensure there are enough drivers to cover service needs. Our volunteer drivers love their holidays, we try to ask those silver surfers to cut down on their surfing, but it isn’t happening! Thankfully because they are such a supportive bunch someone always steps up to fill a space; they appreciate there is a patient needing help and that is enough. 

Each day starts with a handover in Day Therapy where transport and clinical escorts are confirmed, and any last-minute cancellations are dealt with. 

Private drivers are sent their pickups on the previous afternoon so that they can plan their route. Drivers of LOROS vehicles come in and collect their vehicles and their patient list in the morning. 

The next task is to look at the following day, verifying the patients to come in and allocating them to the relevant drivers and vehicles. There is a constant updating of Day Therapy patients as they are discharged, or their attendance dates are amended for holidays and other appointments. If there is a high level of driver absenteeism, then it can take a lot of time to secure replacements. 

Before we contact drivers with their next day transports, we ring all the patients to confirm that they are still willing or able to attend the following day. This in itself can be quite time-consuming, but it has definitely reduced the number of wasted journeys. 

We hold a weekly allocation meeting where clinical staff and the Volunteer Transport Co-ordinator work through the list of prospective patients wishing to attend Day Therapy. The clinical staff have an eye on the number of new patients on any one day and the Transport Co-ordinator looks to see what day would best suit the patients' needs in terms of the availability of the right transport and volunteer drivers. It is critical to get this right otherwise you hit a whole heap of problems further down the line. 

In addition, we also provide patient transport for all our outpatient clinics, and we respond to a range of requests from our inpatient ward. This can include taking patients home, collecting blood and blood products and taking patients for procedures or appointments at local hospitals. Our volunteer drivers are also brilliant at supporting last minute requests from patients and their families where specialised transport is needed. 

Interspersed with all of this is a constant struggle to keep our vehicle fleet running as well as a myriad of administrative tasks. 

The other good thing about this job is that someone has to do it in your absence. The work doesn’t stop which means you don’t return to a backlog of work. 

In summary it’s a challenging job but very rewarding and thanks to a great bunch of volunteer drivers and some amazing colleagues we have a laugh along the way. 

If you would like to get involved as a volunteer driver or know a friend that might, please get in touch: volunteers@loros.co.uk 

Retail

• Pullman Road Warehouse, Glenfield Warehouse 

• Our new This +That store on the High Street 

• Or you could pop into your local LOROS shop and simply ask if they need support! 

Cafe

• at the Hospice

• at our Abbey Park Café 

Marketing

• We are looking for professional photographers, videographers or graphic designers

Maintenance

• In the gardens around the Hospice

Event volunteers

• As we enter the new year, we have a year full of events to prepare for and need the help of our amazing volunteers!

Please get in touch with us if you're interested in a new volunteering opportunity or if someone you know is interested in volunteering for LOROS.