Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) is celebrating national Volunteers Week (1-7 June) by saying thank you to our 435 volunteers who help our services to go above and beyond to give patients and service users the best experience.

The volunteers hold various roles in locations across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, ranging from volunteer drivers who help patients get to and from appointments, to dietetic assistants, breastfeeding peer supporters, pet owners who provide pet therapy and bread making sessions for mental health.

At a special awards ceremony on Friday 17 May, LPT awarded their voluntary drivers the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award, in recognition of their exceptional commitment to taking patients and service users who have difficulty in using public transport and/or cannot drive, to and from their appointments: journeys which totalled 137,369 miles in a single year.

Michal Zawislak, transport co-ordinator, nominated the voluntary drivers for the award. He said: “Our drivers are a loyal team and we are very grateful for their flexibility in times of exceptional demand for the service, extending their volunteering days and hours. We have had amazing feedback from patients and service users for whom the service is a lifeline.
Some of our drivers say that volunteering has literally changed their lives and all of them are aiding the recovery of our service users, so thank you to all the drivers in the team, you are the best.”

Volunteering opportunities are posted on the Trust’s website.

All volunteers have a one-day general induction with the Trust, and local induction with the team they are joining. Depending on the role, they may be offered further specialised training. In return, volunteers are asked to commit at least two hours a week for at least six months.

For more about the service, phone the team on 0116 229 4055/6, or email volunteering@leicspart.nhs.uk .

1-7 June is declared national Volunteers’ Week by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

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Note to editors
Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) provides community health, mental health and learning disabilities services for the one million people living in
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. We have a budget in excess of £275 million and employ approximately 5,500 staff. For more information visit:
www.leicspart.nhs.uk. Our registered charity is called Raising Health (charity number 1057361). The charity fundraises to support excellent care initiatives,
equipment and innovations which go above and beyond core NHS provision to enhance the experience of our patients, service users and staff. See www.raisinghealth.org.uk

For further information contact:
Christina Marshall, Internal Communications Officer, Leicestershire Partnership
NHS Trust, Tel: 0116 295 0919, E: Christina.marshall@leicspart.nhs.uk