Luton and Dunstable Hospital celebrates first students to graduate from Youth Volunteering programme

The L &D Volunteer team has been working in collaboration with three local schools over the past five months, offering the new student volunteering programme which provides anopportunity for young people aged 17 and over to volunteer on busy wards at mealtimes to help support patients and staff.

A total of 14 students took part and all received a certificate to mark the end of their placement as a token of the Trust’s appreciation for the time and value the students haveprovided to our patients.

Feedback has been positive on both sides - the opportunity has allowed the students to grow and gain more confidence, resulting in one student going on to secure employment at theTrust, and two others continuing their volunteering roles.

Mhairi Emery, Volunteer Coordinator said: “We are really proud of our first L&D Youth Volunteering programme graduates. They have been amazing, supporting the patients andstaff around the hospital and today we wanted to say thank you.

“We hope to continue with the programme and expand the number of schools involved so that a greater number of students will be able to benefit from this opportunity.”

The students were presented with their certificates by Ward manager Julie Piley.