Lunch Trolley Volunteer

Spend 3 to 4 hours a week in a hospital and feel over the moon!

This is what happens when you join the Friends of Chelsea & Westminster Hospital as a volunteer.

Chelsea & Westminster Hospital on Fulham Road is known as one of the best hospitals in London and across the UK as a whole. One reason for this is its focus on patient and staff wellbeing. If you have been a patient at Chelsea & Westminster, you will surely have noticed the staff’s professional work ethic and determination to deliver the best care.

One way to “give back” to the incredible staff is to join our charity the Friends of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital as a volunteer.

The medical staff are often so busy that if they have not brought lunch with them, they have very little time to leave the ward to buy food. Since November 2022 the Friends of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital has successfully operated a Lunch Trolley service for hospital staff, in partnership with B Bagel Fulham Road. The service operates five days a week (Monday-Friday) from 10:30 to 13:30/14:00 and allows busy staff (and some patients) to purchase bagels, salads, cakes and drinks without leaving their departments.

In our first year of operation, thanks to our hard-working volunteers we raised around £9,000 to support the work of the Friends charity in the hospital.

We are now looking for two additional volunteers, one who can commit to a set weekly shift of around 4 hours (day to be discussed) and one who can fill in occasionally when one of our permanent volunteers is away. You will be joining a small, friendly team providing a really valuable and popular service to our hard-working hospital staff.

Role description

●        Collect the day’s order of bagels and salads from B Bagel (opposite the hospital) by 10:30/10:45

●        Collect the trolley from the Friends storeroom (lower ground floor) and stock it with the bagels/salads/cakes plus additional items from the stock list

●        Volunteers have a dedicated route to follow each day, so Monday’s first stop is not always the first served on the other days

●        When entering a ward/department, make yourself known to the nurse's desk and place the trolley in a safe position that does not obstruct the movement of staff or patients

●        Take payment via contactless card machine only (your only battle will be with the dedicated WIFI but we usually manage.)

●        At the end of the run, return trolley to the Friends store room (lower ground floor)

●        Do stock check

●        Remove and dispose of all perishable items from the trolley

●        Return carrier box to B Bagel with the order for the next day

Specification

Essential

●        Reliable, punctual, and able to commit to at least one 4-hour slot (around 10.30 to 14.00) once a week 

●        Trustworthy

●        Polite, friendly and enjoys meeting new people

Desirable

●        Previous experience in food retail or a similar voluntary role

●        Previous experience in operating a contactless card machine

Full training will be provided. Volunteers report to the Friends Charity Manager, but are also required to comply with all requirements of the hospital’s own volunteering department, including undergoing a DBS check, Occupational Health check and core training. We will take up references on all successful applicants.

Please note that this is quite a physically demanding role and will not suit those with mobility issues or who have difficulty moving and handling heavy items.