Volunteer

We rely on the help of our volunteers...

There are a number of ways in which you can support the work of the charity depending on the time that you have and the experiences you bring.

Some of these are outlined below. All volunteers are provided with support and training where necessary. If you think that you would like to offer your services then email admin@gistcancer.org.uk and we will be in touch to explore the possibilities in more detail.

Trustees are all GIST patients or close family members.  Their personal experiences are used to guide and inform the work of the charity.  Each trustee takes responsibility for an aspect of the charity's work.  They meet together four times a year - twice before patient/carer meetings and twice online.  There is thus some time commitment but more fundamentally a responsibility for making a difference to the charity and patients and carers.  All new trustees are paired with existing, experienced, trustees to begin with.  There is no payment for getting involved but  the charity will cover all legitimate expenses (travel, subsistence etc.).  We are always seeking to refresh the Board, so if you are interested, do chat to us.

You may be able to support some of our main activities such as distributing materials to new patients and to healthcare practitioners, assisting with the organisation of patient/carer meetings,  supporting local activities etc.  The time commitment can be large or small to suit your circumstances.

If you have specialist skills then we are seeking volunteers to augment our activities.  Examples might include in the area of IT, online moderation of the Forum, or supporting the Helpline and providing frontline response to queries and questions.  If you have a background in one of these areas, and time to give, then please do get in touch.

The Patient Panel is a small group who review and provide independent comment on our work providing ideas on how we can improve.  This may involve reading and commenting on our publications, reviewing the website or just providing suggestions.  The work is occasional and the time commitment is varied.

We're always looking to refresh our Patient Stories to give a wide perspective of different GIST journeys. If you would like to contribute then contact us and we can explain more about what is involved and how your experiences might help others.