Historic milestone as Bedfordshire Hospitals recruits 500th volunteer

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has reached the historic milestone of recruiting its 500th volunteer.

The Trust is honoured to have a loyal & dedicated team of volunteers who give upwards of 30,000 hours of their time each year to provide invaluable support to patients and staff. They are recruited and supported by the Voluntary Services Team, part of Bedfordshire Hospitals Charity.

In August 2026, Promise became the Trusts 500th active volunteer after joining as a Macmillan Support Volunteer to provide support and information to patients, family, friends, carers and staff.

Promise says “As an international student, I only work 20 hours a week. Once my classes finished I found myself with more free time so I wanted to give something back to the society that has welcomed and supported me here.

“Supporting people who are going through difficult times is something I really care about, so volunteering at the hospital felt like a natural way to help.

“In return, volunteering will give me a real sense of purpose and connection. Being able to make someone’s day a little easier, even in a small way means a lot to me. I’m really grateful for the chance to be part of the NHS community in this way.”

Volunteering is a great way to give back to the local community and also helps to ensure the smooth running of hospital operations on a day-to-day basis.

Lisa, our Volunteer Co-coordinator for Recruitment & Support, says "We are so thrilled to have reached this impressive milestone. It's truly amazing that so many people are willingly giving their time to assist staff, patients and visitors at our hospitals, and it really is an honour for me to spend my working days recruiting and supporting these amazing people".

There are a huge number of volunteering roles available across both Luton & Dunstable University Hospital and Bedford Hospital. If you would be interested in becoming one of the next 500 volunteers, please have a look at our current volunteering opportunities here: https://volunteering.england.nhs.uk/volunteer/all-roles/rc1/bedfordshire-hospitals-nhs-foundation-trust