After a two-year hiatus, Royal Voluntary Service is re-launching its iconic hospital trolley service at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

The charity is issuing a call for more people to sign up to get behind the wheels, and volunteer in hospitals, with backing from ambassador Elaine Paige.

On her own trolley shift, accompanied by Royal Voluntary Service President, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, Elaine delighted patients with a bedside rendition of her Cats hit, Memory.

The welcome rumble of a Royal Voluntary Service trolley will once again be heard in the hallways of the RHCH after pandemic restrictions paused the service in 2020.

However, the charity needs to recruit many new retail volunteers at speed in order to continue to support patients, staff and visitors in Winchester.

Volunteers are needed not only on the trolley service, but also to support in the Royal Voluntary Service shop in the Butterfield Wing. At the shop, as well as serving customers, volunteers ensure that they are always greeted by a friendly face who’s there to listen and chat, in what could be a difficult or uncertain time.

For those on the wards who can't make it to a hospital shop, Royal Voluntary Service trolley volunteers help bring the shop to them. They deliver newspapers, magazines, snacks, and lots of little extras that provide welcome pick-me-ups, bringing a warm smile and a bit of friendly conversation to help people through the long hospital day.

READ MORE: Dying tree in Winchester city centre to be felled by the county council

Royal Voluntary Service Ambassador Elaine Paige said: “Having been behind a hospital trolley myself and seeing how the warm-hearted volunteers can raise patients’ spirits, I can only imagine how much they have been missed on wards over the past two years.

“Now that trolley services are back, I am urging people to see for themselves what a remarkable difference they can make to the wellbeing of someone who’s likely experiencing a difficult time. Donating your time to support others is a wonderful thing. You don’t have to have any special skills and you certainly don’t need to sing to patients as I did! Your time and compassion are enough to brighten someone’s day.”

Chris Gray, Royal Voluntary Service Head of Retail, said: “We are thrilled to see the return of our fantastic Royal Hampshire County Hospital trolley service. Trolley and retail volunteers find the experience incredibly rewarding. They enjoy being social and active in their local community, meeting new people and being part of a friendly team supporting the NHS.

“We urgently need more trolley and retail volunteers to step forward and help us to provide these vital services to more patients in Winchester, more often.”

Trolley and retail volunteering are just two of the many rewarding roles Royal Voluntary Service is currently recruiting for. To find out more about volunteering to support the NHS in your area, visit: royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/volunteering/

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