Volunteer Spotlight: Ute Towriss, Inpatient Unit Volunteer

Ute Towriss has been part of the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity volunteer team for the past four years, offering her time and compassion to patients at the end of life.

She is retired, and her life outside the Hospice is full and far reaching. With family spread across Germany, Wales, Sweden and Cape Town, Ute travels often to see her children, grandchildren and her 96 year old father. When she is at home, she enjoys walking, cycling, gardening, reading and singing. However, as she puts it, most importantly Ute enjoys people.

Ute’s interest in people, and particularly in the end-of-life phase, is what first drew her to volunteer. That interest has continued to deepen, and she is now close to completing her End of Life Doula training – a role that complements and builds on what she already offers in the Hospice.

Ute’s volunteering has evolved over the years. While she initially joined in to support activity based sessions, she quickly found that often, patients no longer had the energy for structured activities. Instead, the most meaningful thing she could offer was something much simpler: presence.

Listening, sitting alongside someone, or simply being there in the moment became the most important part of Ute’s role.

“It’s a privilege to be invited to sit with someone at the end of life,” Ute shares.

Each time Ute steps into a patient’s room, she does so without knowing what to expect. Sometimes a person may say they are too tired for company, only for a conversation to unfold slowly and naturally. Other times, moments are fleeting. Visits to the Inpatient Unit are never the same:

“Sometimes I have sat by a person dying alone, or wheeled a patient around the garden, to help them find peace. I have even made a crafted wedding present with a dying woman.”

What stays with Ute most are the stories people share. She speaks about them with respect, and points out how each life is unique, and how important it is that those stories are heard.

“I love to hear the life stories of those who are at the close of their life. They are always interesting, expressive of the person, unique. I hope that in their telling, a person feels that their life has been seen as precious.”

Ute’s time volunteering has also reshaped how she understands the end of life. Having previously worked as a midwife, she has noticed striking similarities between the beginning and the end of life. She reflects on how, at birth, those around are waiting for a baby’s first breath, and at the end of life, there is a quiet attention to the final one. There are parallels, too, in the need for comfort and reassurance – a reminder that care, at any stage of life, is deeply human.

What has surprised Ute most about volunteering is the variety of experiences it brings, and how much there is still to learn.

“Each encounter is unique, sometimes with a patient, sometimes with their relatives, friends – or sometimes it is with a member of staff. I am grateful for a thoughtful manager who supports my learning.”

She also speaks about the impact patients have, not just on volunteers but on staff across the Hospice:

“Many of the people passing through the Hospice leave their mark on the staff, which says a lot about the staff and their engagement with their patients.”

For anyone considering volunteering, Ute’s advice is honest and reassuring:

“It may take some time to settle in but if this is what you want, it will be worth it. Remember that the staff see a lot of volunteers come and go, so it may take time for you to form a relationship with them.”

If you would like to volunteer at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, please visit our volunteer opportunities page, email volunteer@arhc.org.uk or telephone 01223 675872.

You can read more about Ute’s End of Life Doula role here.