VOLUNTEERS are being sought to help provide essential support to the NHS in Ryedale.

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust is working in partnership with Scarborough & Ryedale Carers Resource and Coast and Vale Community Action (CaVCA) to bring volunteers into and around the hospital environment and their communities, to help with a wide range of new roles.

Elizabeth McPherson, Chief Executive Officer at Scarborough and Ryedale Carers Resource, said:“Our most recent venture into partnership working is a true demonstration of how the voluntary sector and health professionals can achieve great things together.

"We have been privileged to work with volunteers for many years now, but never more so in the last 10 months, when we have seen the determination of so many to make a real difference in exceptionally challenging times. We look forward to updating everyone on this new development in the near future.”

As well as working with East Riding services in Scarborough, Ryedale and Malton, the partnership extended its reach to the Whitby area, where the local community hospital has benefitted from the impact of additional volunteers.

As a result of the funding received to make this possible, the teams recruited two part time, permanent positions to elevate the service offerings.

They also established a clear understanding of ‘need’ in each area, which helped them get the volunteers to the places that needed them the most.

The Trust has a target to recruit 20 additional volunteers from the communities in Scarborough, Ryedale and Whitby, who will engage in a number of specific but essential roles across five days, Monday to Friday.

Elizabeth said: "Volunteers can expect to take on a role of activities from transporting patient equipment, to the distribution of vital PPE, family liaison and, where possible, supporting patients on the wards.

"It is expected that the volunteers will become embedded into the clinical teams and benefit from the range of training, employee support and staff health and wellbeing programmes. In addition, the roles will provide essential experience and opportunities to pursue substantive posts if that is their ambition."

If you are interested in joining the voluntary services in the areas of North Yorkshire outlined above, contact Jo Swift jo.swift@cavca.org.uk or Jenny Rumney jenny@carersresource.net.