THE Countess of Chester Hospital’s new ‘Meet and Greet’ volunteer service is up and running and proving to be a huge success with patients and visitors.

The responsibilities of the volunteers, who are situated in the main reception area of the hospital, include meeting and greeting visitors and patients, escorting them to various destinations within the hospital, as well as offering any other help that may be useful.

One of the trust’s Meet and Greet volunteers is Joe Beecroft. Joe is 81 and lives in Great Sutton. He has been a volunteer at the Countess for five years and got involved after retiring.

Joe said: “I wanted to get involved in the local community and I also wanted to give something back to the hospital after receiving treatment here myself. Since joining the Countess in 2004, I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to make a difference. A hospital can be a very stressful place if you are poorly or if you have friends or relatives being treated here, so it is great to be in a position to make their visit that little bit easier.”

The Trust’s Voluntary Services Co-ordinator, Sue Cornick, said: “The team currently consists of 18 volunteers who cover a morning or afternoon shift, Monday to Friday.”