Supporting someone at the end of their life is about so much more than medical care. Our Hospice Neighbours project matches volunteers with people to offer companionship and practical support, adding an important layer to enhance wellbeing and make someone's day a little brighter. Sometimes the greatest support is simply being there for someone.
Our Hospice Neighbours project introduces people at end of life to volunteers who can support them with social and practical support tailored to meet their needs. This can include:
Dropping in for a cup of tea and a chat
Helping with shopping or light housework
Sitting with someone to allow a family member to go out for a break
Trips out to favourite places or social activities
Weekly or monthly visits or regular phone check ins
Hospice Neighbours do not provide clinical or personal care.
Volunteers do not need professional experience or a long list of specialist skills. We will provide training and support to each volunteer, what matters most is that you are compassionate, reliable, a good listener and enjoy interacting with people.
We welcome any amount of time you can give us. Some of Hospice Neighbours volunteer one hour a week, others might offer more. We can work with you on what time you can spare.
Visits will take place at a mutually convenient time between 9am and 4pm. This can be fitted in around your work and other commitments. It is important to us that we match based on a volunteer's commitment and not just the person being supported.
We need volunteers across Bristol, South Glos and North Somerset. We are especially keen to hear from people from South Bristol and East Bristol, which are currently under represented or from those who are happy to travel to those areas.
We want you to gain something positive from the time you generously donate to us. Our volunteers often tell us they:
Benefit from using their skills and experiences and the opportunity to develop new skills
Enjoy the satisfaction of making a real difference to someone's life
Appreciate our ongoing support and training
Get to meet a wide variety of people both in a supportive role and through the volunteer network
Have a sense of giving something back and contributing to the lives of our patients and families
We provide full training and support is always available. We pride ourselves on looking after our volunteers.
Our new Neighbour volunteers are required to carry out an enhanced DBS check, and you will need to be 18 years old and over.
The training and vetting of new volunteers is an important part of the process. It is not a speedy process, but it's a onetime commitment with smaller chunks of ongoing training development.
Much of the training is online and can be done from home.
We're not currently seeking volunteers for Hospice Neighbours, but please check back on this page in May 2026 when we hope to be recruiting again.
If you'd like to discuss volunteering before then, please contact Denise in the Volunteer Team on 07502 882448 or volunteer@stpetershospice.org
If you have a few hours to spare in the meantime, we'd love some extra help at our fundraising events. Tap or click below to find out more.
