If you volunteer at STSFT, there are lots of different roles you can do.
These include:
Activity support volunteer
You will help with welcoming patients, relatives, carers and visitors.
You will spend time with patients on wards helping with things that are not clinical. You will give them things to keep them busy while they are in hospital. This is to make their experience of being in hospital better.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Dementia Friend
A Dementia Friend helps improve the lives of people living with dementia.
You will help with welcoming patients, relatives, carers and visitors.
You will spend time with patients on wards helping with things that are not clinical. You will give them things to keep them busy while they are in hospital. This is to make their experience of being in hospital better.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Dining champion
You will help ward staff and patients during their meal times in hospital.
This includes explaining food options and helping patients complete menu choices. You will also make sure patients are ready for their food. You might also fill up drinks.
It is important to work out what would make meal times easier for patients. Things like opening packets or cutting food up.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Discharge support volunteer
You will be a friendly, helpful point of contact on the phone. This will involve talking to carers who have questions about discharge.
You will work with ward staff and the discharge team.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Emergency Department volunteer
You will work with staff, helping them out when they need it. You will also help our patients when they come to hospital with an emergency.
This includes helping patients contact their loved ones. You might also spend time with them if they are feeling concerned or upset.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Haven Court volunteer
You will help with welcoming patients, relatives, carers and visitors to Haven Court.
You will spend time with patients helping with things that are not clinical. You will give them things to keep them busy while they are with us. This is to make their experience better.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Hospital Radio volunteer
Radio Sunderland for Hospitals is a charity radio station. It is run by volunteers.
There are lots of things you can do when volunteering here.
You might visit wards to collect song requests from patients at Sunderland Royal Hospital.
You might also take part in activities that help raise money for the radio station. You could also help with live programmes including commentary on football matches.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
ICAR volunteer
ICAR is Intermediate Care Assessment and Rehabilitation. It is in Houghton. Staff here give care to people who are well enough to leave hospital but need extra support to do that. It has 24 beds.
You will help with welcoming patients, relatives, carers and visitors to ICAR.
You will spend time with patients helping with things that are not clinical. You will give them things to keep them busy while they are with us. This is to make their experience better.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Learning disability support volunteer
You will spend time with patients who have a learning disability.
You will help with welcoming patients, relatives, carers and visitors.
You will spend time with patients on wards helping with things that are not clinical. You will give them things to keep them busy while they are in hospital. This is to make their experience of being in hospital better.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Macmillan volunteer
You will help with welcoming patients, relatives, carers and visitors to either the Macmillan Centre or to the Chemotherapy Unit. Which one will depend on where you are based.
You will help people who need practical or emotional support. You will listen to patients and carers struggling with cancer.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Medical Equipment Library support
You will help staff collect medical devices and deliver them to patients.
You will mainly be based in the Medical Equipment Library. You will also visit wards in the hospital on morning collections.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Mental health peer support volunteer
You will help with welcoming people to mental health activities in places outside the hospital. You will also help deliver these sessions. They will be across Gateshead.
You will build relationships with people. You will listen to people and help them take part in activities led by the Mental Health Peer Support Team.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Mobility volunteer
You will help people keep up their levels of movement and independence. This is while they are staying in hospital. You will encourage people to go for walks or do some exercises in a chair.
Doing activity every day is important for older patients. This helps stop their muscles from getting weaker. It also helps them get home quicker. It gives them a better change of living an independent life at home. It also helps with stopping people from falling.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Navigator
You will be a friendly, helpful face when people visit the hospital.
You will help people find where they need to go. You might give them directions or help them get to where they need to be.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
New Eye Hospital volunteer
You will be a friendly, helpful face when people visit Sunderland’s new Eye Hospital. It will open in summer 2026 and will be a new place for everyone.
You will help people find where they need to go. You might give them directions or help them get to where they need to be.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Patient experience volunteer
You will help the Patient Experience team. Their job is to make sure people have the best experience when they use our services.
You will do admin tasks in clinical areas like wards and non-clinical areas like offices.
You will help with surveys and our Carer Passport Scheme. You will also help with things for patients with dementia, veterans and those who have just had a loved one die.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Pharmacy volunteer
You will help our pharmacy teams. You will go between the pharmacy, wards and departments. This is to deliver medications on time.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Veteran support
You will help make veterans feel welcome. Veterans are people who used to work in the army, navy or air force.
You will spend time with veterans on wards helping with things that are not clinical. You will give them things to keep them busy while they are in hospital. This is to make their experience of being in hospital better.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
Ward Helper
As a Ward Helper you will help with welcoming patients, relatives, carers and visitors.
You will spend time with patients on wards helping with things that are not clinical. You will give them things to keep them busy while they are in hospital. This is to make their experience of being in hospital better.
You can find out more by downloading the job description by clicking here.
