Butterfly Volunteer Service - End of Life Care Fundraiser
Volunteer Team is raising money for Friends of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Story
Butterfly Volunteer Service
On Sunday, September 14th, our Butterfly Volunteers, the Volunteering Services team and hospital staff will walk from West Middlesex University Hospital to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to raise funds for the Butterfly Project, End of Life Care Volunteer Service.
The walk will be along the River Thames and through the surrounding green areas, and will cover about 8 miles.
Butterfly Volunteers provide a peaceful presence to patients who are in the last weeks, days or hours of their life. Offering dying patients company and comfort, supporting patients’ families and those close to them, with respite and advocating for them when requested. The Butterfly team is made up of 26 volunteers based in both West Middlesex University Hospital and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
The impact that the Butterfly Volunteer programme has had on the quality of care delivered to patients at the end of life, and those important to them, cannot be overstated. The volunteers bring their companionship and compassion to patients at a time that can feel very challenging, and offer something different yet so complementary to the clinical care. We are delighted that the project is now established at both hospital sites, ably led by the Butterfly Volunteer Manager. A huge thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers! Dr Louise Robinson, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Medical Lead for End of Life
The Friends of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital have generously supported this service since February 2024, funding the salary of the Butterfly Volunteer Coordinator, who recruits, trains and supports the team of volunteers who visit our end-of-life patients.
The Butterfly Volunteer was so lovely and easy to talk to. I really appreciate her kind and thoughtful visits. A great and very needed service! Patient
Any donation, large or small will help us support this valuable award winning service into 2026 and beyond across the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust.
Our Butterfly Volunteers are an extraordinary group of people who are dedicated to providing reassuring companionship to our patients, and those who are important to them. Since the service started in our hospitals in 2022, more than 800 patients have been supported during the final weeks, days and hours of their lives. The Butterfly support may include chatting, reading, playing music, holding a patient’s hand or simply sitting quietly with them. Our Butterflies have made more than 3,500 visits to patients, and in over 2,500 of these visits the patients were alone. Thank you for any contributions you are able to make towards helping to support this wonderful service. Adrienne, Butterfly Volunteer Coordinator
The patient was asleep when I arrived. He woke, looked at me, and said, 'How nice to see you.' We had a lovely chat about where he used to live and talked a lot about his childhood. He was a lovely man who seemed genuinely pleased to see me. He held my hand tightly when I left. Butterfly Volunteer
Thank you for visiting our JustGiving page.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.