Celebrating Our Volunteers at Leeds and York

As we mark Volunteers’ Week 2025, we’re proud to shine a light on the incredible individuals who give their time, energy and compassion to support our services and communities.

Volunteers’ Week is a UK-wide celebration of the contribution millions of people make through volunteering. Now in its 40th year, the campaign continues to highlight the diversity and unity of volunteer work across the country—and here at our Trust, we’re proud to be part of that story.

Over the past year, our Voluntary Services Department has gone from strength to strength. We currently have 133 volunteers supporting our Trust, with 63 of them having been with us for over six months. Our longest-serving volunteer has been with us for an incredible 24 years.

We’re also thrilled to have welcomed 53 new volunteers since April 2024, with another 33 preparing to join us soon. These volunteers bring a wide range of skills and experiences, enriching the care we provide and helping to create a more compassionate, person-centred environment.

Supporting Volunteers Inside and Outside the Trust

Volunteering takes many forms, and we’re proud to support it both within our services and beyond.

Take Laura, a ward sister at The Mount, who volunteers at a local hedgehog rescue on her day off. Thanks to flexible working, she’s able to pursue her passion for wildlife while continuing her full-time role. “Volunteering has improved my work-life balance and reduced stress,” she says. “I’m happier and more content because I can do what I love without it disrupting work.”

Lived Experience at the Heart of Recruitment

Two of our Lived Experience Partners have played a key role in the Trust’s Values Based Recruitment working group, led by HR over the past year. To ensure they felt confident and supported in joining recruitment panels, the Patient and Carer Experience Team (PCET) co-produced a bespoke interview skills workshop. Developed in collaboration with service users, carers, and staff from the Trust’s Recovery College, the workshop helps participants understand our values-based recruitment process and provides a safe space to practise asking interview questions. The training runs over two morning sessions and has been well received.

These Lived Experience Partners have since contributed to the recruitment of a wide range of roles, including psychologists, psychiatrists, support workers, and more. Their involvement ensures that the voices of those with lived experience are embedded in how we shape our workforce, bringing authenticity, empathy, and insight to the process.

Lived Experience Making a Difference

Our volunteers also play a vital role in shaping the future of our services. Stephani, a volunteer with the Perinatal Mother and Baby Unit Collaborative, shares her lived experience to help improve care for other mothers. “I realised I had a voice just as powerful as senior NHS managers,” she says. “In just a year, I’ve made positive changes, and I’m proud of myself.”

Wan, another volunteer Wan, is helping to break down stigma around mental health in asylum-seeking and refugee communities. “Mental health isn’t something we talk about where I come from,” she explains. “Volunteering is my way of giving back to the community that supported me.”

Behind the Scenes: Supporting Our Volunteers

Our Voluntary Services team, led by Caroline Agnew and Samantha O’Dowd, ensures that every volunteer feels informed, supported and valued. “We make sure our volunteers have access to the same wellbeing initiatives as staff,” says Samantha. “They’re not just volunteers, they’re an essential part of our team.”

If you’re inspired to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. Volunteering is not only a way to give back, it’s a chance to grow, connect and be part of something truly meaningful.

Celebrating our Volunteers

This week we have been celebrating our volunteers in the Trust, with cake and cards. We hosted an event attended by volunteers who support people suffering from addiction, activity volunteers, and Recovery College facilitator volunteers, as well as a befriender who supports a service user in the community, and our Pets as Therapy volunteers, along with one four-legged volunteer, Marvin.