Volunteering

Volunteers are the charity’s voices in communities and are essential in our mission to raise awareness of sepsis and end preventable deaths and life-changing injury from the condition.

Raising Awareness

Community awareness and education are the keys to improving outcomes from sepsis and our volunteers are vital to its success. We cannot do it with you.

You will be fully trained and supported throughout your volunteer journey by the volunteer lead who will provide opportunities in your area. Such opportunities might include delivering a community talk, representing UKST at a cheque collection, or helping to host a stand at an event. You may also have opportunities of your own at a local school or hospital that we will be happy to support you with.

Our volunteering programme is designed to be flexible and fit around peoples’ busy schedules, enabling them to focus on what they’re most interested in.

We’re committed to providing inclusive and diverse volunteering opportunities, and always encourage our volunteers to try their own ideas within the roles we offer below.

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I became a volunteer for UKST after my 20-year-old son Ben died of sepsis following a three month stay in neuro ITU after an operation. Watching him suffer and losing him nearly destroyed me, but I wanted to do as much as possible to prevent others from going through what not only he did, but us as a family. Using my adult education teaching background, I do talks and/or training on sepsis awareness. This can be in hospitals, GP surgeries and within groups in local communities such as WI, air cadets, etc. As a family we also join in fundraising events and hold an annual fundraiser in Ben's name.

Teresa Whiting

Speaker Volunteers

Our speaker volunteers aim to educate and protect their communities by communicating our life-saving messaging and inspiring people to act locally to support our mission.

By sharing their personal stories of sepsis with people in settings such as schools, universities, hospitals, business conferences, faith group meetings and sports club sessions, audiences can emotionally connect to the cause and understand the importance of knowing the signs to look out for.

Our volunteers sometimes get the chance to speak about their sepsis experiences on television, radio and podcasts.

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After surviving sepsis aged 19, the UK Sepsis Trust was there to support me through my recovery. I experienced the life changing impact that these volunteers and nurses made, and I wanted to be part of it. I felt compelled to help other survivors by sharing my story and letting them know it’s going to be okay. It can be comforting to feel supported by other survivors so I hope to be that person for other people.

Abbie Kitson

Fundraising event volunteers

Can you help us at some of the UK’s biggest fundraising events to raise life-saving awareness of sepsis – the condition that claims more lives than breast, bowel and prostate cancer in the UK every year?

We need help from enthusiastic volunteers to make sure our participants have the best possible experience at events including The Great North Run, London Marathon, Cardiff Half, Brighton Marathon and the London Landmarks Half Marathon.

These events are real highlights in our calendar, and we need your help to support and encourage our fantastic fundraisers.

Our presence at these events is also vital in boosting the profile of our charity and helping others hear about our work.

It’s not just about the big events though. We also need people to represent UKST at smaller community events to thank all our wonderful supporters.

If you are interested in joining us on our mission, then please read the terms & conditions and sign up below!

Register as a volunteer

Volunteer Registration Form

First name

Last name

Email

Phone number

Address

City

Postcode

Age group

Volunteer role interested in Volunteer role interested in

Why you want to volunteer

How did you hear about us?

Other (Please Specify)

Skills and Experience

Emergency Contact 1

Emergency Contact 1 Phone Number

How do you know them?

Emergency Contact 2

Emergency Contact 2 Phone Number

How do you know them?

Are you willing to travel outside of your local area for volunteering?

Do you have a valid UK driving license?

UKST are also occasionally contacted by researchers and medical professionals looking to understand sepsis and its impact. Would you be interested in being contacted should an opportunity to participate in a study or panel arise?

UKST is committed to equal opportunities and providing an inclusive volunteering program. So we can consider any appropriate adjustments to the volunteer environment and better support you in your role, please give details below of any disabilities, physical or mental health issues or support needs.

Depending on their role, some UKST volunteers are required to have a basic DBS check. Do you declare that you understand that you may be required to complete a DBS Check. If this is required UKST will send a link to credence which is the company we use to carry out these checks

How you would like to keep in touch?

By email?

By phone?

By post?

What does a ‘Yes’ mean?

A ‘Yes’ enables the UK Sepsis Trust and Sepsis Enterprises to contact you by post, phone, email or SMS. You can select yes for all of the options or whichever suits you best. It’s quick and easy to change your mind and withdraw your consent at any time - just fill out our short form here or opt out at the bottom of one of our emails.

You are required to attach two forms of ID to this document before submission. One of which must include a photo ID, and one to validate your address

Please also provide a passport style photo to be used for your ID badge.

File Upload

Maximum file size: 52.43MB

I declare the above information is all correct, and will update the UKST volunteer lead should anything change. I have read the contents of the terms & conditions and code of conduct documents outlined on the UKST website

Your Privacy

The UK Sepsis Trust are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. All personal data will be held in accordance with the principles and requirements of data protection and any other relevant legislation. For full details see our Privacy Policy.

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What really motivated me to volunteer - in addition to seeing the impact the existing volunteers were having - was the thought of taking the worst experiences of my life, and using them to help others. There had to be a silver lining to what I had gone through. Volunteering very much gave (and gives) me a sense of purpose. Since becoming a volunteer, I have been able to engage the community regularly, such as through contributing to the Facebook group, or by attending online support groups as a volunteer. These opportunities have allowed me to reach out to others who needed the type of support I first needed. By sharing my experiences, it has helped others learn about PSS, and almost ‘validate’ their feelings and struggles - knowing that they are not alone in what they are dealing with. It allows them a safe space to feel comfortable to either vent or share their stories.

Aaron Speer