As part of Volunteers Week 3-9 June we are celebrating our volunteers and saying thank you for all they do!

Our volunteers play a vital part in delivering our services – from driving patients, admin duties, helping in our kitchen and shops…to being a welcoming face at our reception – the roles are varied and essential to us.

Alan, a graduate of Strathclyde University, volunteered with us for five months as a speech and language therapist to gain practical patient experience before going into full time employment.

Alan says: “Volunteering with Strathcarron Hospice was a brilliant experience! In the time I was here I learned so much. To meet and work with adult patients was incredibly helpful, as was working with the multi-disciplinary teams.

“I worked very closely with Sally Boa, a very experienced Speech and Language Therapist and head of education at the hospice. Sally gave me fantastic supervision and advice. It was incredibly inspiring to work with her and gain insight into the communication and swallowing challenges experienced by people in palliative care.

“I would highly recommend this to any newly qualified Speech and Language Therapist who would like to build on their experience as they start out in their career. This experience was invaluable to my job hunt.

“I had no prior experience of palliative care and had never worked or been into a Hospice, so my initial thoughts that it would be a quiet and sad place - the reality is far from that! Strathcarron is such a nice environment. All the staff are welcoming, caring and do everything they can to make people as comfortable as they can. There was no fear in the patients faces. It is such a positive and uplifting setting.

"It was a wonderful experience to be able to see Hospice Care up close – teams working alongside people to help them to live their lives well”.

Alan was an excellent member of the team in the time he volunteered his time with us. We wish him all the very best in his new role…and hope he comes and sees us again soon!

Find out more about our volunteers and volunteering at the Hospice here Volunteer for us