Kathryn’s findings are used to ensure that the Hospice is responsive and continuously improving its care to meet the individual needs and preferences of its patients.

Kathryn is the Patient Feedback Volunteer- a unique role within the charity.

Kathryn says: “I was in the prison service for 31 years, not always an easy job for a woman. I’ve tended to play my career down, which is a shame, because that’s where all my skills have come from.”

She started as a prison officer in Durham, where she stayed for 12 years, rising through the ranks.

“Then I went to Askham Grange, a female open prison outside York, where I gained a lot of experience. I was a big fish in a small pond because of the size of the institution and was promoted to deputy governor.

“I had management responsibility for the kitchens, healthcare, mother and baby unit, farms and gardens and house security.”

As well as responsibility for financial management, Kathryn was adept at managing people. She thinks that’s why Greg Hildreth, a Senior Manager at the Hospice thought she would be good for this role.

‘I’m used to speaking to all kinds of people and I think I’m skilled in reading the room. If someone doesn’t want to speak to me, I’ll sense that and move on to someone else. I think Greg thought I’d bring some sensitivity to the role as well.”

Kathryn visits Alice House Hospice every two weeks, going first to the Wellbeing Centre to talk to Day Hospice patients. She then moves on to the Inpatient Unit, which provides care and support for local patients affected by life-limiting illness. She has a set list of questions to ask regarding the quality of their care and how they find the facilities and Hospice staff.

These questionnaires can prompt discussions about improving processes and evolving services to ensure that patients receive the absolute best possible care.

Kathryn is pleased to report that the Hospice is doing an excellent job: “One man, a visitor said he’d worked in some of the top private hospitals in London and the care here was every bit as good.

“Even when you talk to patients who are terminally ill, they are usually cheerful and appreciative of the Hospice. It makes me sad because the Hospice isn’t fully funded and relies so heavily on donations and volunteer support.”

Kathryn’s family has a long history of charity work and she says it’s in her blood.

“My maternal grandmother, Nana Ivy, was always a person for doing things for other people. She would collect donations from people, set up a table in the alley, and we would have to work behind the stall to raise money for a blind charity. Because I spent a lot of time with her, I learnt that you should give something back to your community if you can.”

Kathryn still volunteers in other parts of the Hospice and particularly enjoys being part of the Alice House Trees of Remembrance campaign in Middleton Grange Shopping Centre at Christmas. People are invited to dedicate a festival bauble with a personal message to a loved one. As well as fundraising, Kathryn says it provides an opportunity for people to share stories of those they have lost.

Kathryn has volunteered for the Hospice in various roles since she retired from the Prison Service in 2009. She says, as well as the satisfaction of helping a wonderful charity to survive, volunteers can make new friends.

“You might be working with someone you’ve never met before and enjoy their company. If you’re perhaps feeling lonely and without much of a social life it can give you quite a lot. There’s a space for everybody.”

If you would like to find out more about volunteering at Alice House Hospice, please click here.

Article credit: Heather McWilliam, Volunteer Media Consultant.