"Being at St Michael's has helped me find myself again"

Sarah Franklin is quite clear about the difference volunteering at St Michael’s has made to her life.

“I’d lost my confidence, and being here has helped me find myself again, and really helped build my confidence back up,” she said.

Sarah was widowed very suddenly last year. She has three grown-up children.

“I was just feeling very lost. I knew that I needed to find some purpose, so when I saw the Volunteer to Career scheme advertised here at St Michael’s, I applied.”

Sarah has been shadowing Sandra, one of our Ward Clerks, learning about the role, and getting to know other members of the clinical team and wider St Michael’s workforce. 

The Volunteer to Career scheme sees participants complete 60 hours of certified training over the course of a year. Once complete, volunteers will be supported onto a career pathway aligned to our workforce needs.

St Michael’s was one of just four hospices around the UK which signed up to the first round of Hospice UK’s Volunteer to Career pathway.

Hospice UK says its aim is to “support the professional development and recruitment of volunteers considering a career in healthcare”.