Volunteers’ Week Focus – Elaine’s Story

Elaine Wilson became involved with the Charity ten years ago after a friend suggested taking part in our Midnight Walk. Elaine quickly progressed to volunteering after reading an article in our newsletter that we were short of volunteers and needed help with afternoon teas at the Hospice. She now has two valuable roles at the Hospice; she makes afternoon tea for patients in the Inpatient Unit every Monday and is a Bereavement Listener supporting bereaved families.

Elaine wanted to get involved as her father had received incredible hospice care in Kent and, as she lives within reach of our Hospice in Stoke Mandeville, it made sense to volunteer with us.

“My dad liked afternoon tea and had benefited from hospice care, and I felt that I wanted to give back,” Elaine said.

Every Monday Elaine loads up the tea trolley at Florence Nightingale Hospice with tea, cakes and biscuits. She talks to patients and their families in the Inpatient Unit, chatting to them and listening to their stories.

“The Hospice is a special place,” she says. “People have this idea that it’s a sad place, but it isn’t, it’s light and bright, warm and welcoming.”

Elaine’s background is in teaching, both primary and secondary, and although she’s now retired, she has always loved working with children. Elaine is one of the few Bereavement Listeners who support children, both in the Hospice and going into schools. Listeners provide the space for a bereaved person to tell their story, they actively listen but it’s not their job to try to fix the situation.

“I meet the most amazing children,” she says. Families often want to protect children and find it difficult to talk about death and dying. However Elaine explains that it’s ok to talk about death if you pitch it at the right level. “Children can be much more matter of fact than adults and take it in their stride sometimes as long as we are honest with them.  Children like to mull things over and then ask questions. It’s also ok to express your emotions in front of children as we’re displaying how we experience grief.”

Elaine is also a supervisor for other volunteer Bereavement Listeners who each receive 10 weeks training. She checks on their welfare, because being a Listener can be challenging as well as incredibly fulfilling.

During Volunteers Week Elaine says “Give volunteering a try. There are so many different roles and you can do as much or little as you like. There really is something for everyone, and everyone is doing it because they want to.”