ST BARNABAS: Thanks to reception team for all their hard work

The reception really is the hub of the hospice – the place from which people go off in their different directions, depending on which part they are visiting.

And it is our reception team who manage it all.

Every day, one member of staff and two volunteers staff the desk.

But in total, there are more than 30 reception volunteers.

I am very grateful for the excellent first impression they all give.

The receptionists get asked all sorts of questions – where are the local shops, where can I stay for the night, how do we send a parcel, can I have a map, and so on.

And it can be a challenging role, especially when visitors are distressed, but the receptionists are always there to offer comfort and support.

Other tasks include franking letters each day, sometimes hundreds in one day, and delivering newspapers to patients on the In-patient Unit and Day Hospice.

They also answer the phones, take people around the building, look after numerous sets of keys, accept donations for the fundraising department and many other tasks.

The reception team also get to know our army of volunteers well, because each of them has to sign in and out at reception when they come to spend time at the hospice.

The receptionists tell me their role is often like waiting for a bus – one minute there’s no one they need to help, and the next, lots of people need assistance all at once.

Thank you to every member of the reception team – you do a great job.

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