Date published: 30 May 2023 by Katie Inglis

This year, as part of Rainbow Trust’s celebrations for Volunteers’ Week, we’re celebrating two fantastic volunteers who have been nominated by our staff for a Volunteer Award.

Thanks to a partnership with Room to Reward, a charity that works with the hospitality industry to recognise volunteers who give up their time to make a difference to those who need it most, we’re sharing the stories of 2 amazing volunteers who have made a real difference during their volunteering.

One of our winners this year is John West from Epsom, Surrey. John has been volunteering with our London and South East care team for over 5 years, and as a Volunteer Driver, helps to provide essential transport for the families we support.

John often helps with transporting families to and from hospitals in London for appointments and treatment. He says:

“It sounds so simple, but I have found that you can't underestimate the importance of removing traffic and parking worries from a family already under enormous stress.”

Janet, a Family Support Worker in our London and South East Care Team has been working alongside John since he started. She says:

“I really appreciate John’s dedication and that’s why I wanted to nominate him for an award, so he knows just how much his volunteering means to me and to the families we support, who all speak so highly of him.”

Our second winner this year is Hattie Hansen from Bristol. Hattie has been volunteering with our South West care team for over a year, and provides practical and emotional support to families. She visits weekly, despite working full time, and catches a bus when she finishes work to spend time with the family she is supporting. Hattie says:

“I didn’t expect for this volunteering opportunity to bring me such a personal sense of joy and responsibility. After working with this family now for over a year and feeling the privilege of being welcomed into their home week on week, I now can’t imagine not doing this; I’ve made a connection with the family that I’ll treasure for a lifetime”.

Wendy, a Family Support Worker in our South West care team, who works alongside Hattie, says:

“Hattie has built an amazing relationship with the sibling of the poorly child, their parents and their wider family. She supports the sibling with homework and play and helped them through a transition to secondary school which was a really scary time for them.

It’s not only her dedication I admire, but also how much satisfaction she gets out of knowing she’s making a difference.”

Rainbow Trust is recruiting for more volunteers to join our teams across England, with roles ranging from office-based support to directly supporting the families we work with, at home and at hospital. Whether you are looking to give an hour or two, or to give time more regularly, there’s a range of opportunities to suit everyone.

Find out more about our volunteering programme and browse our current opportunities.