Janet on volunteering at Pinderfields: 'I love it to bits'

Janet, of Durkar, gets satisfaction from knowing she has helped comfort and reassure people and plans to continue volunteering as long as she is able.

The former shop and catering worker has volunteered at Pinderfields for five years and is part of a dedicated team who give their time to help patients and visitors.

Janet meets and greets people and checks them in for appointments and can take people to their outpatient appointments.

She also helps patients' relatives find where they are in the hospital.

Janet, who volunteers for around four or five hours a week, said: "I love it. You can see people when they come in that look scared. They just want somebody to talk to sometimes.

"It's the best thing I've done. I wish I had done it years ago. "

"I have taken pregnant women up to maternity. It's important to give them that comfort.

"Then they come back and say thank you and that means everything because you have help somebody.

"That's what I want to do, just help people."

" You have a lot of people come and they am in the wrong place or the wrong hospital You get a lot of people come coming now for the diagnostic centre which is nowhere near here, it's on Westgate Retail Park.

Janet worked in catering and retail for the majority of her working life.

She has worked at Morrisons, BHS, Clinton Cards and Adam's in Wakefield.

Janet, who grew up in Darnley, said: "This just seems more fulfilling. I feel like I have achieved something at the end of the day.

"Every shift and every day is different you get different people in and different people to talk to and and people in different circumstances.

"I would definitely recommend it if you'd like to help people and you have got some free time and you have got pleasant nature come and do it You get a lot of satisfaction out of it.

"Knowing that you can get home and know that today I have helped somebody."

"It's thoroughly enjoyable. I love it to bits.

"We got on really well as a team. You support each other and you feel and you fill in for people if they can't get in."

Mid Yorkshire Teaching Trust have 434 active volunteers and last year they contributed 40,000 hours.

Trust chair Keith Ramsay, said: “We are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated group of volunteers across our Trust.

"Our Volunteers play a vital role in supporting patients, visitors and staff, from welcoming visitors and helping people find their way, to running our trolley service, supporting patients on wards and taking on a wide range of other roles, each of them makes a real difference.

"We’re extremely grateful for the time and commitment they give to our Trust and our communities.”

To find out more about volunteering at the trust go to: https://www.midyorks.nhs.uk/volunteering