PROSPECT Hospice is looking for new volunteers with skills in complementary therapies to expand a service that has brought care for patients and support for their carers for more than a decade.

A dedicated team of volunteers trained in massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, reiki, M-technique and Indian head massage currently offer their skills and time helping patients and carers, both at the hospice in Wroughton and at the charity’s Outreach Centre at Savernake Hospital in Marlborough.

The opening of the Outreach Centre in 2016 means they can offer more complementary therapies, and they are now seeking more volunteers to support the expansion of the service.

One volunteer who has been an integral part of the service is therapist Elisabeth Nuttall who has witnessed a rapid rise in the number of people who have sought the team’s services in recent years.

“It has been great to see the number of patients who benefit from the time we spend together,” she said.

“It can help them psychologically, help them to relax, to breathe more deeply, and can even help pain relief. Sometimes it can just change their mood or cheer them up.”

Elisabeth believes more people would enjoy the sense of satisfaction that she gets from this volunteering role:

“In fact I would encourage more people to volunteer, if they have the experience already or would like to develop the skills that can really make a difference for patients,” she said.

“I couldn’t imagine not doing this. I’ve made friends with a lot of volunteers and staff here over the past nine years and it’s a lovely atmosphere to volunteer in.”

Graham Biggs, voluntary services manager at Prospect Hospice, said: “We hugely appreciate the skills that Elisabeth and all our volunteers bring to support our work and, more importantly, so do many of the thousands of patients and carers we support each year.

"I would be delighted to hear from anyone who has the time, experience and personality to bring to this really important volunteering role at Prospect Hospice.”

Potential new recruits to this voluntary team can register their interest by emailing volunteering@prospect-hospice.net or calling Graham or Katie on 01793 816168.