Meet our volunteers

As many of the volunteers at The Horder Centre, I was a patient having a hip replacement in 2013. The staff were caring and friendly and this made me think that I would like to give some of my spare time to help where I could be of use. I joined in August 2014 as volunteer on Dufferin Ward.

My role is talking to the patients and ensuring they are comfortable and have their personal belongings to hand. Operations and a stay in hospital can be quite daunting and hopefully just by chatting will help to alleviate their anxieties and as I have been a patient too, I can relate to how they are feeling. I am happy to undertake any tasks required on the ward to help the staff.

I thoroughly enjoy my sessions and being part of a team and have recently joined the HR and Volunteer offices to help with administration.

When I am not volunteering, my main interest is my garden and always seem to have major projects on the go!

Rod joined us in September 2010 offering patient support to our patients and visitors in the car park. He now volunteers in our coffee shop helping to serve customers and keep the coffee shop clean and tidy. &

“I was fortunate to have my knee replacement at The Horder Centre and found all the staff so caring and friendly. When I got the chance to volunteer I was happy to know I was a part of that team.”

As a patient in 2011, I read the patient magazine and noticed the article saying that the Centre was looking for volunteer gardeners.

My keen interests are conservation and wildlife and I have built up years of experience in gardening. I am an outdoors person and like to be at one with nature. I am also Chairman of the Kent Wildlife Trust of Ashford and Tenterden.

“I started volunteering at The Horder Centre in March 2011. I find gardening at the Centre therapeutic and I like to deliver my gardening skills to the hospital and the patients. I feel I am giving patients a feeling of tranquillity and peacefulness following their operations”.

I was so grateful to THC after having both hips replaced with them that I wanted to give something back. Volunteering seemed an ideal opportunity to do that and I joined in 2011. I volunteer in the reception area. My day involves escorting patients to their appointments and for their operations. I chat with them and try to alleviate any fears they may have – especially as I have been in their shoes! There is always something I can help with. I love meeting people and I really enjoy my role.
Everyone is so friendly and seem to appreciate me being here.

“To be appreciated is a nice feeling – it is really different being a volunteer rather than the feeling that you are going to work and I didn’t really understand that until I came here. I look forward to coming here and honestly “I just love it”

Bill Purbrick decided to become a volunteer at The Horder Centre after his experience as a patient. Bill says “I had a very good experience at The Horder Centre. When I was 70 years old I was told that I needed a new knee joint and having never been in a hospital for all those years, I was very worried! I spoke to the surgeon and he put my mind at rest. I went on to have a very successful operation and the aftercare was superb. “When I heard they were looking for volunteers I decided to help in The Horder Centre car park, assisting patients arriving for appointments."