The World is their Oyster: Hospice ‘Alumni’ going on to great things

Our four ‘alumni’ meet up with volunteer services manager Phil

In early 2022, Wirral Hospice St John’s began its sixth form education enrichment programme, in partnership with Wirral Grammar School for Boys (WGSB), who offer students, in groups of six, the opportunity to volunteer here for an afternoon over a twelve-week period. 

So, it was wonderful to welcome back and congratulate four of the students who enrolled early into the programme and have recently received their ‘A’ Level results, who told us about their time at the hospice had greatly helped them to prepare to take the next steps on their life’s journey.

Lucas, Elliott, Alfie and Josh popped in to reminisce and let us know how they’d got on since their time here.

Josh with hospice director of workforce development, Jane Bohan

After a Summer where they’ve all travelled a bit with friends and/or family, they gave us a mini world tour taking in Lake Garda, Sweden, Tenerife, Fuengirola, Singapore, Thailand and Australia, they’re now ready for the fun, hard work and more study to build their future careers.

Lucas and Elliott will be studying medicine at Keele and Edge Hill University respectively (there’s a couple of future doctors in the house). Alfie will take geography at Liverpool University and Josh starts his training to be a police officer in early 2025. Well done, gentlemen!

Some of the WGSB boys, there have now been six groups, have continued to volunteer or help out at events while Josh, alongside another Lucas and Ben who were also on the course, has completed a daring Skydive to raise funds in memory of his own Mum who was with us at the hospice. Truly inspirational!

In a quote which all the lads endorsed, Elliott said,

“I honestly know that being able to tell the interview panel about my experience at the hospice helped me to get onto the course to study medicine.”

Absolutely brilliant. Thank You again chaps we also learnt a lot from you. We truly wish you all the very best.

Wirral Schools Sixth Form Enrichment

Lucas with hospice Director of Clinical Services, Chris Sutcliffe

The hospice sixth form enrichment programme is the brainchild of hospice volunteer manager, Phil McGraa, himself a former pupil at WGSB, the idea being to give the young volunteers a meaningful experience.

With various ambitions for the future, including medicine, the young people are soon enthusiastically supporting various teams around the hospice.

Spending time with doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants, the kind of professionals people associate with hospice care, but also with allied health professionals, and others, they get a rounded insight into hospice life.

Hearing and seeing how we provide patients help with fatigue, anxiety and breathlessness, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, complementary therapy, spiritual support, benefits and social work alongside counselling and support pre- and post-bereavement all adds to their learning.

Serving patients with afternoon tea, baking, organising and taking part in quizzes and other fun activities in our Wellbeing Centre and hearing presentations from other hospice professionals embeds them in the hospice ethos.

They also spend time behind the scenes leaning how the hospice raises it funds and how we keep our community aware of how the hospice is working and the things they too can get involved with to help the hospice.

Alfie with Jane

Now well into its second year the programme is always concluded with certificate awards for each young volunteer and with their own team summation presentation to senior managers, and their teachers, outlining what they have learned in just three months of volunteering and how it helps to shape their futures.

Since 2022 the hospice has welcomed six groups of first year sixth formers to volunteer with us and their feedback is always unique to each cohort but there is one common theme,

“The hospice is not at all like I expected!”

Bearing in mind that we’re working with sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds, their reactions reflects the experience they have. Here’s just a sample of their feedback,

Elliott with Jane

“I was apprehensive when selecting this option for enrichment, but I am so happy I chose the hospice and would never look back.”

“Wirral Hospice took me by surprise. I did not expect it to be as uplifting and positive as it is.”

“Since the start, Wirral Hospice has been nothing but wonderful, with a kind and supporting team guiding us along the way.”

“The experience here, at least for me, has been absolutely wonderful. All the people who work here and all the patients are pleasant and a wonder to be around. I seriously and thoroughly have enjoyed every second of being here and it has been an invaluable experience for me and my future career.”

If you’re a sixth form student or a school in Wirral and would like to hear more about how Wirral Hospice St John’s could add to your enrichment portfolio please contact Phil or Sarah on 0151-334-2778 or by email to volunteering@wirralhospice.org