Hospice volunteer Christine Womwell

Erdington’s John Taylor Hospice is a way of life for volunteer Christine Womwell. Every day, she’s likely to spend an hour or two on hospice activities, from visiting a bereaved relative to completing paperwork or preparing for a fundraising sponsored run.

Christine started volunteering in 2002, after a relative was cared for at the hospice. During visits, she met volunteers who worked on the wards, picked up a leaflet on volunteering and a few months later decided to become involved. She began by serving tea and coffee but quickly wanted to do more.

After mentioning her interest to counsellor colleagues, she was encouraged to train as a befriender, a role that has now evolved into her current position as one of six bereavement support workers, providing one-to-one support to help people through bereavement.

Christine normally works with up to three clients, meeting each one fortnightly for an hour of what she calls “good quality time.” Cases are reviewed at six-weekly intervals to decide if support needs to continue.

For some, a few weeks are enough but others require longer-term help: Christine worked with one client for six months. Talking is at the heart of the process. Christine explains: “We encourage clients to express themselves openly and honestly. Many people think they must keep a stiff upper lip to show they are coping when that is the last thing they need.

“Interestingly, if they are parents it doesn’t matter how old their children are – they need mum or dad to be strong. Some people don’t want to admit they are grieving, others may have problems that are not about grief.”

A key challenge for Christine and her colleagues is to provide skilled support as professionals, not friends. As Christine says: “People will share things with you very quickly, sometimes things they won’t tell their own families, and it would be very easy to become attached.”

For guidance and advice, volunteers can turn to bereavement coordinators Lynne Walsh and Jane Small at any time – or chaplain Nigel Schibild on spiritual matters – in addition to monthly feedback meetings to review progress with clients. There is also an ongoing programme of training.

Elsewhere, Christine works alongside fellow volunteer Gordon Pigeon to facilitate Steps and Phoenix, two hospice-linked groups that meet monthly at Erdington Methodist Church. Steps has evolved from bereavement support to have a more social focus and Christine and Gordon anticipate that, in time, Phoenix will do the same. Christine describes both as being made up of “phenomenal people”.

What keeps her coming back for more? “You can make a difference,” she says. “And the hospice is wonderful. You can be sitting here at the worst possible time of your life and everyone is totally there for you.”