Volunteering Opportunities Welcome to our volunteering opportunities webpage! This is where you can read about all the volunteering roles available across NHS Lothian. Whether you are looking to volunteer at a large hospital or would prefer to volunteer at a smaller community hospital, we have you covered. Please use the dropdowns below to find out information about the sites you can volunteer at across NHS Lothian and the roles available at each site. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that there are sites close to your home/work/school that you were not aware of! To find out all about the different tasks and activities you can get involved in as a volunteer, you can download the role descriptions available at each site too! If you wish to apply to become an NHS Lothian volunteer, please fill in our online volunteering application form. Got question? Check out our volunteering FAQs page which answers some of the most commonly asked questions about volunteering with us. Please note that to volunteer with us you need to: Be aged 16 or over Be able to make a regular weekly commitment for two or more hours a week Volunteer with us for a minimum of six months Receive satisfactory appropriate clearance from Disclosure Scotland (this is completed by us as part of your application, you do not need to pay for this yourself) Where applicable receive occupational health clearance for agreed role Actively participate and engage in our volunteer induction training Volunteering Opportunities with our Third Sector Partners Volunteer at the Children’s Hospital with Radio Lollipop One in four children are admitted to a hospital before reaching age 14. Radio Lollipop believes in the healing power of play – providing smiles and laughter to children at a time when they need it most. Though some patients are short-stay, many have a recurring need for care and return repeatedly to hospital. Some who are terminally ill spend much of their short lives in hospital. Radio Lollipop gives young patients a voice and a choice during their stay. While they can´t say “no” to taking their medicine or receiving treatment, they can request their favourite songs, win prizes and hear their own voices on the radio. Those activities give youngsters a haven of normality in the hospital day which in other respects is strange, different and often scary. Each Radio Lollipop Volunteer has a commitment to provide 2 hours per week of interactive play with children using a comprehensive range of fun and interactive activities developed over the years by Radio Lollipop. A broadcast radio studio is part of the armory of activities in our “toy box” and is provided at most of the hospitals where the Radio Lollipop service operates, providing a unique child-orientated programme of interactive competitions, music, stories and games. If you want to be part of the magic that is Radio Lollipop and putting Play In Place of Pain for children spending time in hospital, come along to one of our volunteer information days at Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, Ground Floor, Out Patients, 50 Little France Crescent Edinburgh EH16 4TJ on Sunday 19th January 2025 between 2-4pm Sunday 20th April 2025 between 2-4pm Sunday 20th July 2025 between 2-4pm Sunday 19th October 2025 between 2-4pm Alternatively visit us at Radio Lollipop – Play In Place Of Pain or email us at vcnew.edinburgh@radiolollipop.org. Hospital based Volunteering in East Lothian East Lothian Community Hospital, EH41 3PF About this siteThe East Lothian Community Hospital (ELCH) is a three-story hospital based in Haddington with a total of 6 wards. Services provided by the hospital include: Step-Down Care, Medicine for Elderly, Dementia Care, Continuing Care for Elderly, Endoscopy, IV therapy, Shared Therapies, and an out patients department including mental health, children’s services, and phototherapy service.Roles currently available at this site:Ward HelperCurrently Recruiting to Weekends Only Hospital based Volunteering in Midlothian Midlothian Community Hospital, EH22 3ND About this siteMidlothian Community Hospital is based near Bonnyrigg and provides inpatient care for frail elderly, and frail elderly with mental health conditions. It also includes a day hospital for older people with mental health problems, a dedicated physiotherapy and occupational therapy service, an out-patient department (including x-ray service), child health clinics, and a range of other health services. Volunteers at Midlothian Community Hospital get to build relationships week on week as many of the older patients with psychiatric illnesses can have quite long stays. Roles currently available at this siteMeaningful Activity Volunteer, Ward Helper Hospital based Volunteering in West Lothian St John’s Hospital, EH54 6PP About this siteSt John’s Hospital is a modern teaching hospital that provides a comprehensive and expanding range of services including: Medicine of the Elderly, Oncology, Maternity, Ear, Nose and Throat, the Regional Eating Disorder Unit and Stroke Medicine. The hospital is based in Livingston, and has a 24-hour Accident and Emergency department. Roles currently available at this site If you are a dog lover our new Therapet Visit Support volunteer role might be for you. This volunteer role will support Canine Concern’s Therapet visits to St John’s Hospital, ensuring that visits can run smoothly for patients, staff and volunteers. These visits are arranged ad-hoc but most visits are planned for mornings or afternoons Monday to Saturday with visits lasting no more than 1.5 hours. Volunteers must be available during the planned visit time slot and a little before and after. The Therapet dogs are brought along with their owners who are Canine Concern Therapet volunteers.We are looking for volunteers to support patients who are awaiting their discharge from hospital. Volunteers will welcome patients to our Discharge Lounge, help to keep patients motivated and confident about going home, offer small snacks and drinks and support staff with errands as required. Volunteers can get involved from Monday to Friday at the following times, 10am to 1pm, 1pm to 3pm or 3pm to 6pm. Discharge Lounge Volunteer We are also recruiting volunteers to support the Marie Curie Unit which is based at St Johns Hospital. If you are a driver, have some spare time on Wednesdays and would be willing to offer transport support to patients attending the Marie Curie Unit then this Volunteer Driver role might be for you. For more information, contact Claire Garton on 01506 523 588. The Patient Experience team is looking for Patient Experience Volunteers who will be based at St John’s Hospital and who will interact with patients, families and carers to hear about their experience of care and treatment through conducting surveys, interviews or promotional events. You must have strong communication skills, be willing to approach people and able to collect information in a systematic way. Tippethill House Hospital, EH48 3BQ About this siteThe hospital specialises in short term and respite care and is split into two wards. Bailie Ward specialises in medical care and respite. Rosebery Ward offers mental health care. Volunteers help the patients engage in activities one to one or in groups to keep mentally and physically active. Roles currently available at this siteMeaningful Activity Volunteer Maple Villa, EH54 5BU About this siteMaple Villa provides continuing care for male patients with a diagnosis of dementia. Volunteers help the patients engage in activities one to one or in groups to keep mentally and physically active. Volunteers also help maintain the gardens in Maple Villa and to support the staff in new gardening type meaningful activities with patients.Roles currently available at this siteMeaningful Activity VolunteerGardening Volunteer Hospital based Volunteering in Edinburgh Astley Ainslie Hospital, EH9 2HL About this site The Astley Ainslie Hospital provides a range of rehabilitation services for adults with acquired brain injury, stroke, orthopaedic injuries, limb amputation, and progressive neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Volunteers help by providing a range of practical and social support to patients.Roles currently available at this site Ward Visitor , Volunteer Gardener Ellen’s Glen House, EH16 6FF About this siteEllen’s Glen House is a two-ward unit for people who need care and treatment that can only be given in a hospital or specialist NHS unit. Hawthorn ward specialises in care of people with complex clinical needs providing palliative & end of life care. Thistle ward is a specialist unit for older people with mental health conditions.Roles currently available at this siteMeaningful Activity Volunteer, Mealtime Helper Ferryfield House, EH5 2HF About this siteFerryfield House is a two-ward unit for people who need care and treatment that can only be given in a hospital or specialist NHS unit. Rowan ward specialises in care of people with complex clinical needs providing palliative & end of life care. Willow ward is a specialist dementia unit providing care to minimise feelings of confusion, anxiety and distress.Roles currently available at this siteMeaningful Activity Volunteer, Mealtime Helper Findlay House, EH6 7LN About this site Findlay House is a two-ward unit for people who need care and treatment that can only be given in a hospital or specialist NHS unit. Fillieside provides intermediate care for patients, usually above the age of 65, who are either unable to return home or remain home after illness or injury. Prospectbank ward is a specialist dementia unit providing care to minimise feelings of confusion, anxiety and distress.Roles currently available at this site: Meaningful Activity Volunteer, Mealtime Helper Lauriston Building, EH3 9EN About this siteThe Lauriston Building provides high quality outpatient services in a variety of clinics at Lauriston Place in Edinburgh. Its services include ear, nose and throat (ENT), dermatology, and orthopedics.Roles currently available at this siteWelcome Guide Mon – Fri (9am – 3pm) Liberton Hospital, EH16 6UB About this siteLiberton Hospital provides intermediate care for patients, usually above the age of 65, who are either unable to return home or remain home after illness or injury and would benefit from a period of inpatient recovery with rehabilitation and re-ablement.Roles currently available at this siteMeaningful Activity Volunteer Veterans First Point Volunteer Opportunities to take part in Clinical Research Trials Our Clinical Infection Research Group (CiRG) facilitates research studies for a range of common UK infections e.g., flu and COVID. Many of these studies require volunteers aged 18-99 to take part for example in testing different interventions, e.g., vaccines or sharing experiences. For more information about taking part in clinical research trials you can email CiRG at Loth.CIRGregister@nhs.scot or you can find out more at www.cirg-edinburgh.co.uk
