Meet our Volunteering Team

In my role as Head of Volunteering, I’m responsible for developing and implementing our national volunteering strategy. I offer leadership and guidance to our wonderful Volunteering Team, making sure they have the tools and support they need to make volunteering with Sue Ryder safe, inclusive and rewarding.

I love my job and am motivated by the passion and kindness that our volunteers bring to Sue Ryder. My background is in volunteering and fundraising, and in my spare time, I volunteer for a community group and LGBTQ+ organisation in my local area.

bluebell.valentine@sueryder.org

In my role, I oversee Retail Volunteering and manage the team that supports our 6000+ retail volunteers. My aim is to make Sue Ryder the best place to volunteer, so I develop procedures, processes and supporting materials to make retail volunteering work in the very best way possible.

I’ve been a volunteer manager for more than 20 years at different charities and in the Civil Service, and I volunteer myself as a Magistrate and with the NHS.

lucy.swann@sueryder.org

I’m here to make sure your experience with us is as smooth as possible. Think of the Volunteer Helpline as your direct line to me and the rest of the volunteering team. Whether you have a quick question about your role, some feedback to share or just need a bit of extra support, I’m always happy to chat. I can also help guide you to the right resources if you’re supporting another volunteer. Whatever is on your mind regarding volunteering, I'm here to listen and point you in the right direction.

volunteering@sueryder.org

I spend my time working hand-in-hand with Probation Services to welcome people into our Sue Ryder shops and hubs. My goal is to make sure every person doing their Community Payback feels supported in a positive, structured environment where they can really contribute. I also love getting to train our supervisors, making sure they feel confident and ready to help—and I’m always just a phone call away whenever a question or a tricky situation pops up!

julia.spargo@sueryder.org

Each of the Retail regions has its own dedicated Retail Volunteer Coordinator (RVC). The RVC’s role is to actively support each shop team to recruit, induct, train and retain their volunteers. They also help with celebrating the fantastic support our volunteers give to our shops, and with recruitment on the ground or online.

A big part of our RVC’s role is to guide our new managers through training and to support them in developing their volunteer teams. Each RVC looks after around 130 shops- and so while you may not see them too regularly, they are busily working in the background to keep their regions and our volunteers well supported.

The Retail Regional Volunteer Co-ordinators are:

• Region 1 – Leah Rubin-Birchall (she/her)
• Region 2 – Claire Tupling (she/her)
• Region 3 – Gemma Rose (she/her)

At each of our centres, we have dedicated Volunteer Coordinators who ensure that every volunteer receives the support and guidance they need for a brilliant experience. These Coordinators recruit new volunteers, ensuring that our hospices remain vibrant hubs of activity and are the first line of support for our remarkable volunteers across our hospices.

They are instrumental in helping volunteers navigate their training, facilitating a smooth onboarding process, and fostering a welcoming environment. They also keep our volunteers informed by sharing monthly newsletters and organising regular meetups.

Grief Kind Spaces have a team of amazing, committed Area Coordinators who give regular contact to their volunteers along with being offering ongoing support and training to ensure that each and every volunteer have a positive experience and feel part of our wider Sue Ryder team.

They recruit volunteers to ensure their experience from day one runs smoothly and are committed to keeping our volunteers regularly informed by providing reflections, newsletters, volunteer evaluations and information on the volunteer hub to ensure our volunteers feel appreciated and valued.

Our Senior Administrators play a significant key part in Grief Kind Spaces, they are the first contact with a volunteer. They ensure that every volunteer receives information on the onboarding process which includes all aspects of administration needed for the role and are there to support with any questions which may arise.

With their care and guidance, we are able to provide a positive experience throughout their whole volunteer experience.

If you have any general volunteering questions or enquiries, please call the Volunteering team on 0808 164 4572 or email volunteering@sueryder.org