Sidmouth Hospiscare launches drive to recruit bereavement volunteers
Sandra Iris is a bereavement volunteer for Sidmouth Hospiscare. - Credit: Archant
A Sidmouth charity is looking to expand its bereavement volunteer service by encouraging residents to meet its helpers and find out about their work.
Sidmouth Hospiscare currently has 50 dedicated people offering their time to provide driving, sitting, befriending and bereavement support to people in the Sid Valley with life limiting illnesses and their carers and families.
The charity’s CEO Dr Gill Ryall said there was a small number of bereavement volunteers and there was a need to recruit to continue providing an ‘invaluable service’.
Sandra Iris has been a bereavement volunteer for nearly 11 years and said it was one of the best decisions she ever made.
She said: “To be able to have the privilege of speaking to someone who has lost a loved one and gradually see them see a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, is so rewarding. To me, being a bereavement volunteer is an honour and very worthwhile and I am so glad I decided to do it.”
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As part of the drive, Sidmouth Hospiscare is linking up with bereavement charity Cruse Bereavement Care.
Dr Ryall said: “We have teamed up with Cruse Bereavement Care to develop an enhanced training and supervision approach to ensure that the volunteers have the confidence and backup to enable them to carry out this role in the best possible way.”
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Residents will be able to drop into Browns Kitchen to talk to volunteers like Sandra on May 12 between 10am and noon as the charity will be out in the town on its annual collection day.
Residents will be able to drop into Browns’ Kitchen to talk to volunteers on May 12 between 10am and noon and the charity’s volunteer co-ordinator at the same time outside Sidmouth Co-op.
To find out more call Ashlynn on 01395 577126 or email shvc@btconnect.com.
