UHSussex Voluntary Services

27/03/2026

National Complementary Therapy Week - Staff feedback

Jemima Neale the Complementary Therapy Coordinator at the Fernhurst Centre said “We are so grateful to our volunteer complementary therapists for offering their professional skills and time to provide tailored, holistic therapy sessions for our patients and carers affected by a diagnosis of cancer. Complementary Therapies are designed to be used alongside existing care pathways and interventions to help manage symptoms and improve quality of life and overall wellbeing. Sessions are available at UHS for anyone affected by cancer and can be arranged by contacting uhsussex.srhcomplementarytherapies@nhs.net”.

As we celebrate National Complementary Therapy Week, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Charlotte, Jen, and all our complementary therapy volunteers for the time, care, and dedication they bring to St Richard’s Hospital. Their therapies offer patients calm, comfort, and connection during some of their most challenging moments.

We are deeply grateful for everything they do, and we are proud to recognise and celebrate their remarkable contribution—not just this week, but throughout the entire year.

27/03/2026

National Complementary Therapy Week - Meet Jen our Complementary Therapy Volunteer

We are also incredibly fortunate to have Jen, who brings her extensive NHS nursing background and her passion for Reiki to patients at The Fernhurst Centre.

Reiki, as Jen explains, “(pronounced Ray-kee) is a gentle form of energy healing that originated in Japan. The term Reiki loosely translates as "universal life force energy". Our bodies have an energy flow that governs our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health. When our energies are balanced we feel grounded and centred, and our bodies function in optimal health. When this energy flow becomes disrupted or blocked, we function at a physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally sub optimal level. A reiki practitioner will channel, usually through light touch, universal energy into the client which then clears, balances and restores energy flow.

Complementary therapies are gentle and relaxing treatments that work well alongside conventional medical pathways. For patients undergoing cancer therapies it can provide a wonderful moment of respite from the rigors of treatment. For me, to be able to volunteer and provide Reiki at The Fernhurst Centre is an absolute privilege, and the feedback given from the recipients is always very positive. I have worked within the NHS in nursing for 40 years, and to now be able to offer a therapy that is so gentle, uplifting and beneficial is a such a joy for me”.

26/03/2026

National Complementary Therapy Week - Meet Charlotte our Complementary Therapy Volunteer

Alongside offering therapies such as Reiki and massage, we are also fortunate to have Charlotte, who provides reflexology within St Richard’s hospital.

Charlotte has been a qualified reflexologist since 2024 and uses her skills to help patients relax and help their body find balance again. She describes reflexology as “safe and non-invasive,” giving people a moment to reset and feel cared for during what can often be a challenging time.

Charlotte shared that she finds this volunteer work “incredibly rewarding and love that I am able to help people”.

26/03/2026

This week, we’re proud to celebrate National Complementary Therapy Week by recognising the incredible contribution of our Complementary Therapy Volunteers.

We are fortunate to have three dedicated volunteers who generously give their time and expertise to provide Reiki, massage, and reflexology across St Richard’s hospital. They promote wellbeing by helping patients relax, feel reassured during treatment, and experience meaningful moments of peace within our busy hospital.

We are truly grateful for the compassion and care our volunteers bring to every session. Their support enriches our holistic approach to patient care, and the positive feedback from patients and staff reminds us how much these therapies mean to those who receive them.

⭐ Over the next two days, we’ll be sharing stories from our wonderful volunteers and highlighting the impact of the therapies they provide. We hope you’ll follow along as we shine a spotlight on their work.

👉 Contact details continued in the comments below ⬇️

12/03/2026

🥕🍎 March is National Nutrition Month! 🍇🥦

A shoutout to our wonderful volunteer Wayfinder Julian, who has been helping visitors make healthy choices right in our hospital entrances every week.

This year’s nutritional theme, “Discover the Power of Nutrition,” reminds us how small daily choices can help us feel great now and, in the future, and our volunteers are helping make that easier for everyone who visits or works at our hospitals.

You can now grab your five a day on your way in! Our colourful fruit & veg stand—stocked with beautiful, fresh produce—will be popping up in main entrances from 8am to 6pm every week:

📍 St Richard’s Hospital: Monday
📍 Princess Royal Hospital: Tuesday
📍 Royal Sussex County Hospital: Wednesday & Thursday
📍 Worthing Hospital: Monday & Tuesday

Whether you're staff, a patient, a visitor, or a volunteer on shift, drop by, say hello, and treat yourself to something fresh and healthy. And if you can’t find the stand, just ask one of our volunteer wayfinders!

Let's help our communities stay well, one piece of fruit at a time! 🍏💛

25/02/2026

📣 Out and about at the UoB Health Careers Fair!

Our UHSussex Voluntary Services team loved meeting so many passionate students from the University of Brighton today! 💙🎓

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat about volunteering, developing new skills, and making a real difference across our hospitals. Your enthusiasm for supporting patients, visitors, and staff was truly inspiring! ✨

Volunteering at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust is a brilliant way to support your ambitions for a career in healthcare — offering hands-on experience , real insight into the day-to-day running of a ward or hospital 🏥, and the opportunity to work alongside our experienced and dedicated healthcare assistants, nurses, doctors, and allied healthcare professionals. 💉🩻

If you’d like to explore volunteer opportunities with us, you can find out more here:
👉 https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/volunteer/apply/

19/02/2026

It’s and we’re sending a huge thank you to our incredible Pets as Therapy dogs and their dedicated handlers at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust 💙

Through the kindness of our amazing volunteers, these special dogs bring comfort, ease anxiety and brighten the days of patients, visitors and staff across our hospitals.

Those wagging tails truly become part of the healing journey. 🐾

Spotlight on Some of Our PAT Dogs:

Mirtilo Santos is a Chow Chow who visits the Stroke Ward at Royal Sussex County Hospital each week. Volunteering since 2023, she loves greeting everyone she meets — and you’ll often hear her distinctive loud breathing before she comes into view along the corridor!

Harvey is a retired rescue greyhound who ran nearly eighty races in his younger days. Now enjoying a slower pace of life, he spends time each week on the Neurosurgery Ward (Ward 9) at Royal Sussex County Hospital. Sociable and affectionate, he’s known for gently leaning in for attention if you stand still long enough.

Martha visits Birdham, Boxgrove and the Pharmacy at St Richard's Hospital with her owner, Vanessa. Together they offer calm companionship and friendly moments that help lift spirits throughout the day.

Dogtor Scooter spends time on Howard Ward, the children’s ward at St Richard's Hospital. His steady, reassuring presence helps young patients feel more relaxed, providing welcome distraction and comfort.

Barkley volunteers at Worthing Hospital, where his laid-back nature and cheerful visits create warm moments of connection for patients, visitors and staff.

Jo and Meggy are a dedicated team at Princess Royal Hospital. Together they spend time with patients and colleagues, sharing smiles and gentle companionship that make a real difference to the hospital day.

Help us celebrate by sharing a photo of your own pets in the comments below 🐶💙

And if you’re interested in volunteering with your own beloved pet, visit our website to find out more https://tinyurl.com/UHSussex-Volunteering

17/02/2026

💙 This Random Acts of Kindness Day, we’re celebrating the incredible volunteers behind our wonderful partner service at the Royal Sussex County Hospital Brighton, part of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust and funded by Friends of Brighton & Hove Hospitals - A Friend in Need.

Every day, these volunteers offer quiet, meaningful acts of kindness to individuals and families at the end of life, whether that is listening to patient stories, providing a calm and reassuring presence or supporting loved ones, AFIN's mission is to make sure no one ever feels alone.

These moments may seem small, but their impact is profound. A gentle conversation, shared memories, or simply sitting beside someone can bring comfort, dignity and connection when it matters most.

Our volunteers make a difference not through grand gestures, but through compassion, presence and humanity.

This Random Acts of Kindness Day, we honour them — and the kindness they bring to our community. ✨

If you'd like to learn more about A Friend in Need, or are interested in volunteering with the service, you can get in touch using the links below:

🔗 Friends of Brighton & Hove Hospitals – A helping hand for the NHS
brightonhospitalfriends.org.uk

🔗 Anne Robson Trust
annerobsontrust.org.uk

16/02/2026

💙 Love, laughter and 16 years of volunteering together

Valentine’s Day may have passed, but we’re still celebrating the amazing people who bring love and kindness into our hospitals every single week — like Robbie and Roy!

Robbie and Roy have been married for nearly 64 years, and for the last 16 of those years they’ve volunteered together at the Princess Royal Hospital, part of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust Their secret? Staying active, giving back, and doing something they love side by side.

In their own words:
“Volunteering at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath has kept us happy and fit, by being able to give back to the community. Thank you PRH!”

We’re the ones who should be saying thank you — for your warmth, commitment, and the joy you bring to patients, visitors and staff.

Here’s to Robbie and Roy, and to all the wonderful volunteers who make University Hospitals Sussex such a special place.

If you’re interested in volunteering at one of our hospitals, you can find open vacancies and ways to get in touch by visiting our website https://tinyurl.com/UHSussex-Volunteering

03/02/2026

Love playing football? Did you know you can support your local hospital whilst having fun on the pitch!? ⚽️

The UH Sussex Cup, running throughout March is open to NHS staff, volunteers, corporate teams, and organisations/ individuals working with the NHS (all players must be 18+) with every penny raised going directly to support patients and staff in our local NHS hospitals in Sussex!

Players wanted! Sign up now: ⬇️

Claim Your Glory: Be the First-Ever UH Sussex Cup Champion 🏆 Ready to play? Sign up your 6-a-side team and compete in the inaugural UH Sussex Cup at the iconic Worthing FC ground! Tournament Kick-Off

29/01/2026

Well done to our colleagues at My University Hospitals Sussex for pulling off a fantastic collaboration with local artists 'The Postman'! Amazing to see these dull, grey external walls transformed in to vibrant, positive, inquisitive spaces 💫

My Charity tell us why this project is so important for patients, staff and the local community:

Hospitals can be high-stress places. The goal here was to cut through that tension.
For patients, it’s a vibrant distraction and a reminder of the world outside.
For NHS staff, it’s a burst of energy and colour during a long, demanding shift.
For the local community, it turns a dull construction site into an art gallery.
Nature has a documented way of lowering the heart rate. By “rewilding” the hospital’s exterior, The Postman is using art as a literal tool for recovery.
This isn’t just a temporary facelift. These 50+ panels will eventually be auctioned off, with every penny going to My Charity, the dedicated NHS charity supporting local hospitals in Sussex.

👏👏👏

22/12/2025

This month Voluntary Services at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust held festive events for all of our wonderful volunteers across the trust. Here are a few of the volunteers that received long service awards at the events. Thank you so much for all your hard work and dedication to University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust .