Meet our complementary therapy volunteers

Tina Dennett, one of our Complementary Therapy Practitioners, introduces our therapy volunteers.

When you’re living with a life-limiting illness, you can experience physical, psychological, emotional or social issues which mean that you don’t quite feel like you.

Our Complementary Therapists help support people to start feeling more like themselves again.

Complementary Therapy

Complementary Therapies can help to relieve stress and tension, promote feelings of wellbeing and aid relaxation. The therapies are used alongside existing medical treatment for patients, and they’re also available for relatives and carers.

At St Ann’s, we have an amazing team of experienced complementary therapists who work with our Complementary Therapy Practitioners and volunteer their time to support our patients.

A montage of six of our volunteers smiling and wearing their purple uniform

Our volunteers

We have 18 volunteers who offer massage, reflexology, aromatherapy and Reiki in Heald Green, Little Hulton and the Neil Cliffe Centre. They help facilitate our meditation and relaxation sessions and also support our five-week Relax and Unwind programme in The Being You Centre.

Having this team of qualified and experienced volunteers allows us to offer these services to a wide range of people. We’re able to support inpatients, people attending the Being You Centre, outpatients, carers and bereaved carers.

Sometimes a person may only be seen once, and other times they may be offered a series of four to six sessions of their chosen therapy. Each person we see is assessed and guided to choose the therapy which is the most appropriate and beneficial to them.

While our volunteering has temporarily stopped during lockdown, the absence of our volunteer therapists has highlighted just how much of a contribution our volunteers make to our service. They have continued to support us in many ways from home, like hand-making beautiful keepsakes that can be given to patients and a family member to help them stay feeling connected even when they are apart.  Tina Dennett, Complementary Therapy Practitioner

Feeling inspired?

We're especially looking for support in our hospice shops at the moment.

Whether you have a couple of hours a week to spare or a couple of days, every single bit of support makes a difference to our patients and their families.

Find out more