What’s it like to volunteer?

Sarah’s story

Since January, we’ve been able to open family swim sessions on Saturday thanks to our volunteer lifeguards. Sarah is one of our new lifeguards, since moving to the area she’s been looking to volunteer with children, and Chestnut had the perfect opportunity for her to find out what the role entails and what she most values about volunteering at Chestnut Tree House:

“I swim a lot and love being in the water, so I’m a water person. Volunteering as a lifeguard at Chestnut Tree House appealed to me straight away.

After my application was accepted, I did my basic lifeguard training. My role is to facilitate children that are cared for by Chestnut Tree House to come in and enjoy the water in the hydrotherapy pool. Many of our families can’t use public swimming pools. This could be for different reasons: perhaps the water is too cold, the noise is too overwhelming, or the risk of infection is too high. Some children and young people need a hoist to enter the water. At Chestnut Swim Club, the children and their families can enjoy special family time together without worrying about any of that.

I have family experience of children’s hospice care, which is one of the reasons I looked at volunteering here. What I would say is, this is a happier place than a lot of people expect. It’s all about creating happiness for the children and for their families. Everyone is always smiling and it’s just a really nice place to be.”

Mark’s story

If you’ve taken part in any of our mass participation events then you’ll probably recognise Mark – or maybe just his camera! Mark has taken part in many events for us, and volunteered countless times. He’s ran or cheered at the Brighton Marathon for many years in particular. and he’s often seen giving his time and expertise to help us with our event photography

“I had done a few runs for charity already but never really felt a part of them – until I met the amazing people at St Barnabas and Chestnut Tree House. I did two half marathons and the support was amazing both before and after. Not once did you ever feel like it was just about the money. As a volunteer you are as much a part of the day as the runners.”

Angela’s story

“After I retired from my job in the NHS, I broke my arm badly. The recovery took a year, which meant I had to reconsider what retirement would mean for me. The accident and surgeries changed my outlook and took a lot of my enthusiasm away.

I had become lazy, so my friend pushed me to find some volunteer work. I looked on the St Barnabas website and saw an advert for Chestnut Tree House family hostesses on Friday afternoons.

My role includes welcoming families to the hospice, making them cups of tea and helping them unpack. I have only done a few sessions so far, but I have seen the wonderful experiences that these children and young people get from being there. The staff are amazing – so humble and grateful to have someone there to make them a cup of tea. The parents, children and staff interact so well together which makes it such a relaxing, comfortable place to be.

On one of my Friday shifts, a family was using the Stars bereavement suite. I found it quite comforting knowing that parents suffering such terrible loss were being treated with the utmost care, warmth and support. It’s a beautiful place for them to spend time with their child and come to terms with their passing.”