Want to meet friendly new people, contribute to a worthwhile local cause, or learn new skills? Become a volunteer for The Friends of TMH.
Volunteers’ Week is an annual celebration of millions of people’s contributions across the UK through volunteering. Our Friends’ volunteers make a fantastic contribution to our local community, thank you to all of you for your time, care and enthusiasm.
Why volunteer for The Friends?
There are considerable benefits to becoming a volunteer for The Friends.
- Make a difference in your local community. Volunteering for The Friends means you can have a valuable positive impact on people’s lives in your local Teddington Community.
- Meet friendly people. Becoming a volunteer for The Friends means you can meet many different kinds of people of all ages from various backgrounds and quickly and easily make new friends through shared experiences.
- Be part of the Teddington community. Volunteering with The Friends can help you feel connected and part of our vibrant Teddington community beyond your colleagues, friends, and family.
- Regain confidence and purpose. During Covid, you may have become isolated from friends, family, and colleagues, which may have impacted your confidence and self-esteem. Similarly, volunteering with The Friends can help keep you motivated and regain confidence if you’ve recently retired, bereaved, or suddenly unemployed.
- Feel healthier and fulfilled. The rewarding feelings and activities of volunteering with The Friends can help lessen stress or anxiety and help you feel physically healthier and more fulfilled.
- Gain new expertise and rediscover talents. Volunteering with The Friends allows you to learn new skills, experience new things, and feel a real sense of accomplishment. You can challenge yourself to try something different and rediscover your hidden talents.
- Have fun! As a volunteer for The Friends, you can simply have a really delightful, fun time.
What does a volunteer for The Friends do?
The Friends relies on our volunteers to undertake a range of activities supporting the hospital, its patients, and its staff.
Fundraising activities
Collections
Our volunteers are crucial for raising funds to enhance the services and equipment at Teddington Memorial Hospital. One way is by collecting donations from generous shoppers at various locations around the borough. In the past, our volunteers have boosted donations significantly by collecting at local Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, and Squires.
If you are shopping and see one of our volunteers, please stop and show your support. Our volunteers love to meet our supporters and tell you about our recent achievements and current projects.
Signature events
Our volunteers are crucial in supporting our signature events.
Pre-Covid, the Friends organised an annual “Fundraising Soul Night” at the Constitutional Club in Teddington. The evenings were always filled with great music and dancing. Our raffle, with a variety of prizes, was always popular. Our valued volunteers offered tremendous support by taking entry fees and selling raffle tickets.
Local community members are often invited for food and drink after an event, for example, the Remembrance Day service. We are indebted to our volunteers, who provide practical help with setting up refreshments and vital camaraderie.
Fairs, fetes, and Christmas
The Friends has a stall at many local summer fairs and fetes staffed by our volunteers. The aim is to collect donations, sell gifts and merchandise, and provide information about the Friends’ activities and events supporting Teddington Memorial Hospital. We truly thank our volunteers for sparing their time to help staff our stalls.
At Christmas, The Friends’ volunteers work hard at seasonal events selling an array of Christmas items and gifts. These events are great fun and well attended by the local community, with lots of stalls, entertainment, food and even maybe the odd glass of mulled wine.
Raising awareness and supporting groups
The Friends volunteers are often invited as guest speakers by organisations keen to know more about The Friends’ work and the hospital’s projects and improvements. Recent examples include the local Rotary Club and St Philip and St James Women’s Group.
Volunteers support the fundraising efforts of local groups. For example, a local Bridge group supported The Friends by arranging a Café Bridge Tournament in Teddington. Participants played Bridge all day in several cafes around Teddington. The proceeds from entry fees, the sale of raffle tickets, and generous donations on the day helped raise valuable funds. Our valued team of volunteers helped make it a massive success on the day.
The Friends Hospital Shop
The Friends shop is situated within the hospital. It provides a top-rated service to patients, visitors, staff, and the local community.
We are always looking for new volunteers in our shop, and if you are able to spare some time each week regularly, we would love to hear from you.
Supplying skills
Sometimes, The Friends asks for volunteers with a particular skill set to offer. In the past, The Friends has advertised for a volunteer to
- Administrate its Gift Aid Declarations.
- Help organise, publicise and coordinate local events.
- Maintain our database of valued members.
Please regularly check the website in case there is an opening in which you’re interested.
Patient services
Pre-Covid, The Friends volunteers provided a Ward Trolley Service, delivering their much-appreciated supplies to patients, including books, newspapers, toiletries, and treats. This was well received by everyone who benefitted from these popular items and the friendly company of our volunteers.
Ad Hoc Projects
During Covid, The Friends received a request from Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust, the Trust who manage Teddington Memorial Hospital. The Trust enquired if our team of volunteers would be able to make headbands for the staff to wear. The staff got sore ears from the elastic on their face masks.
The Friends appealed to our volunteer team and was thrilled with the response received. Our volunteers and their friends and family produced over 500 headbands for the nursing team to wear.
Our inspiring volunteers
Our amazing volunteers are vital in helping us support our community Teddington Memorial Hospital. We want to thank them for all they do.
Here are some excellent examples of our wonderful volunteers, past and present.
Mary
Mary has been a frequent user of the hospital, especially when her son, who has severe learning difficulties, was young. By volunteering in our shop, Mary found a perfect way to give something back to the hospital, which helped her family in so many ways.
Alvin
Alvin took part in the 1983 vigil to save Teddington Memorial Hospital and features in the original “Story of Teddington Memorial Hospital” book. Alvin wanted a local volunteering opportunity. Working in the shop was a perfect match, given his passion for our community hospital.
Christina
Christina volunteered at several events each year, pre-Covid, and is a great proponent of our projects and activities at the hospital. Christina wanted to get more involved within the local community. Volunteering for The Friends was rewarding and a great way to meet new people.
Kevin
Kevin has been volunteering in The Friends’ shop in Teddington Memorial Hospital for several years. As much as he enjoyed his career years, especially travelling to exotic places, Kevin says he would hate to return to paid employment. Retirement and the freedom it brings are so much better.
Eve
Eve joined The Friends about 25+ years ago and started helping in the shop; then, with her husband, she took over its running as a volunteer for many years. Eve has made an enormous contribution and helped to raise funds, making it possible for the League to provide many enhancements to both services and equipment at the hospital.
How can you help?
Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, gain confidence, acquire new skills, and provide a vital service for staff, patients, and visitors.
The Friends is always looking for volunteers to join, and we provide full training and support to all.
Become a volunteer for The Friends of TMH.