Volunteers at Dewsbury hospital and across Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust celebrated during special week
Volunteers at Dewsbury and District Hospital and across the Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust (MYTT) have been celebrated during Volunteers’ Week.
The Trust has been celebrating the vital contribution of its volunteers as part of this year’s Volunteers’ Week, highlighting the difference they make every day to patients, staff and the wider community.
Volunteers play a unique role across the Trust’s hospitals and, over the past year alone, volunteering at MYTT has generated an estimated £600,000 in social value.
From welcoming patients and helping people find their way around the hospital sites to offering reassurance and companionship, or serving in the Dewsbury Café, volunteers have been making a “difference”, with patient feedback showing that 96 per cent rated support from volunteers as good, very good or excellent.
Brent Kilmurray, Chief Executive of Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, said: “Our volunteers are an integral part of our team at Mid Yorkshire.
“We are incredibly grateful for everything our volunteers do, and during Volunteers’ Week we celebrate their impact and the difference they make across our Trust.”
James, who has been volunteering with the Trust for nine years and was named Volunteer of the Year at the Trust’s annual awards in 2025, said:
“Back in school and college, I was always the quieter student and never had confidence for anything. It’s been a big change for me because I used to say I would never do this, but now I’m a ward befriender and on the guide desk all day on Thursdays.
“There are also lots of different roles, not just at the guide desk. But really, I just want to highlight the great jobs that all the volunteers do. Just because you’re not paid doesn’t mean you’re not valuable.”
The Trust is now encouraging more people from across the community to get involved and experience the benefits of volunteering, whether to build skills, meet new people or make a difference.
The Trust is currently recruiting new volunteers and welcomes applications from anyone who wants to make a difference.
If you or anyone you know are interested in becoming a volunteer at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, you can apply online. If you would like more information, please contact Voluntary Services on 01924 543451 or [email protected]