Macmillan Volunteers

People who have life threatening medical conditions, such as cancer, and their carers often find it a confusing and lonely experience. It can be difficult to find someone to talk to who isn’t a family member or a medical professional.

Macmillan volunteers provide an extra person to talk to, face to face or by telephone. They have the time to listen and provide support, either as a one-off or on an ongoing basis, dependant on the person’s needs and desires. Support is usually at least two to three hours support a week for 12 weeks.

Macmillan volunteer roles cover:

• General Support for patients and carers
• Dementia Support
• Immediate and Longer Term Bereavement Support

All volunteers complete an application form and are interviewed for a role. If successful you are then DBS checked and complete a full induction and training programme in a wide range of issues to support you in providing high quality and confidential support.

As a Macmillan Volunteer you will:

• Visit patients and carers in their own homes or contact by telephone to chat with them and check on their health and well being.
• Provide some practical support with daily living as required, such as running errands, transporting patients to hospital appointments, gardening or sitting with a patient to allow a carer to go out for a break.
• Provide practical support immediately after a bereavement.

This video shows Macmillan volunteers talking about how much they get out of their role: