Volunteer Juliet Lee is encouraging others to follow in her footsteps by becoming a complementary therapist at East Cheshire Hospice. The former nurse steps down shortly when her husband retires.
The Hospice is looking for qualified complementary therapists, particularly in touch therapies such as massage and reflexology.
Juliet has no hesitation in recommending a role she has performed for more than five years.
Hospice complementary therapist Juliet Lee.
She said: “I volunteer for a few hours each week. To be able to use hands-on skills to make people feel comfortable and relaxed at an extremely challenging time of their lives is very rewarding.
“I work within a closely-knit team with holistic care at its heart. The touch we all give is so important.
“Patients at this time are sadly associating ‘touch’ with needles and invasive procedures so they appreciate, by contrast, the gentle and comforting touch we can offer.
“The Hospice is a haven where they receive a metaphorical hug and where TLC is front and centre. Working as a complementary therapist there is wonderful!
“I think this quotation from the American poet Maya Angelou sums up the ethos behind the work we do:
“‘People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.’ ”
Helena Smith, from the Hospice volunteering team, said: “Our volunteer complementary therapists have such power to make a real difference to our patients.”
* Anyone interested in this role can contact Helena on 01625 664984.