The Royal Voluntary Service is resuming its trolley services at both the Royal Bournemouth and Poole hospitals after they were put on hold in 2020.

The volunteering charity is asking for more people to sign up to help in a campaign backed by its ambassador Elaine Paige OBE.

On her own trolley shift, Elaine was accompanied by Royal Voluntary Service President, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, and the singer delighted patients with a bedside rendition of her Cats hit, Memory.

Elaine said: “Having been behind a hospital trolley myself and seeing how the warm-hearted volunteers can raise patients’ spirits, I can only imagine how much they have been missed on wards over the past two years.

“Now that trolley services are back, I am urging people to see for themselves what a remarkable difference they can make to the wellbeing of someone who’s likely experiencing a difficult time. Donating your time to support others is a wonderful thing. You don’t have to have any special skills and you certainly don’t need to sing to patients as I did! Your time and compassion are enough to brighten someone’s day.”

In order to continue to support patients, staff and visitors to the hospital, the charity needs new retail volunteers at speed.

They not only deliver newspapers, magazines, snacks, and lots of little extras that provide welcome pick-me-ups, but also bring a warm smile and a bit of friendly conversation to help people through the long hospital day.

Head of Retail, Royal Voluntary Service, Chris Gray, said: “We are thrilled to see the return of our fantastic Dorset trolley services. Trolley volunteers find the experience incredibly rewarding. They enjoy being social and active in their local community, meeting new people and being part of a friendly team supporting the NHS.

“By offering essential items to patients, they help make their stay in hospital that bit brighter and bring real joy to the wards, but they also help to ease pressure on hardworking clinical staff.

“Trolley service volunteers also offer a friendly face to patients who, unfortunately, don’t receive any visitors, helping them avoid loneliness and aiding them in their recovery.

“We urgently need more trolley volunteers to step forward and help us to provide this vital service to more patients in Dorset, more often.”

To find out more about volunteering visit: royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/volunteering/