An introduction to volunteering

Our volunteers make an enormous difference to the service we offer.  Without our volunteer team we couldn't support as many patients we do.  Volunteers like you help make our fundraising possible and help us in our aim to hit our target of raising £4,090 a day to support our services.  We currently have around 50 active fundraising and retail volunteers and 50 hospice volunteers, all of whom actively give up their time to improve the lives of those we care for.

Cynthia Spencer Hospice is a really close-knit family.  While you share your skills and time with us you will make friends and learn new things.  Plus, you’ll be in the knowledge that the whole time you are making a huge difference to the charity and the people we support no matter what volunteering role you take on.

If you’re looking for work experience or planning to return to work after a break, the skills you learn with our team can be transferred into the workplace and will enhance your CV. Whereas if you’re purely aiming to put your retirement or spare time to good use, volunteering with us a wonderful way to fulfil yourself and meet new friends along the way.

Our volunteering roles cover a wide range of activities, and we have something to fit everyone.  From supporting us in the fundraising office to donating your time to support our community fundraising work out at events and collections, there will be a role for you.

We have options to suit every skill set from office admin to driving our retail van and hours can be flexed around your availability.  Please do take a look at our current vacancies and read some of the comments our volunteers have made.

We will work with you during your induction to come up with a volunteering pattern that best suits you.  For example, you can volunteer just twice a year at our large-scale events, or every week for a few hours.  We aim to be as flexible as possible.

However, occasionally we do have roles that have specific time requirements, and we’d be happy to discuss these with you to see if they would match your lifestyle.

This will depend, to some extent, on the type of volunteer role you wish to apply for, but whatever your skills, we aim to find a volunteer role for you! Any role that requires particular skills will be detailed in the role description.

Many of our volunteer roles do not require you to have any experience or specialist skills at all and the only things we’d ask you to bring are your time, energy and enthusiasm and a commitment to our cause.

When you undertake a role with us you will be given a full induction and training modules specific to the role you are undertaking.  Ongoing support is always offered by your direct line manager.

You can volunteer to support our fundraising team either within the office or out in the community. You can also volunteer in our Donation Station at Pondwood House in Moulton Park, Northampton and at the hospice.

People claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance (JSA) can volunteer as long as they remain available for work and are actively seeking paid employment.  Volunteering will not affect the benefit payments you receive.

However, it is important to let your benefits adviser know you're volunteering.

Volunteers are entitled to be reimbursed for their travel and other legitimate expenses via a completed expense claim form.  Volunteers are not paid for their time.

Please have a look at our most current volunteering vacancies by clicking here.

You can then apply online through our website.  If you would prefer to call and speak to us then please get in touch on 01604 973340, Monday to Friday 8am – 4.30pm.

We would love to hear from you and start you on your volunteering journey!