A MUSICAL theatre star has added her voice to a hospital service’s urgent call for volunteers.

After a two-year hiatus, Royal Voluntary Service is re-launching its hospital trolley services in Brighton and Crawley.

The volunteering charity has called for more people in Sussex to sign up to get behind the wheels, and volunteer in hospitals, with backing from ambassador Elaine Paige.

On her own trolley shift, accompanied by Royal Voluntary Service president the Duchess of Cornwall, Elaine entertained patients with a bedside rendition of her Cats hit Memory.

The rumble of a Royal Voluntary Service trolley will once again be heard in the hallways of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and Crawley Hospital after pandemic restrictions put the services on hold in 2020.

But the trust needs many more volunteers, not only on the trolley services at both hospitals, but also to support in the Royal Voluntary Service cafés there.

For those on the wards who cannot make it to a hospital shop, Royal Voluntary Service trolley volunteers help bring the shop to them. They deliver newspapers, magazines, snacks, and lots of little extras that provide welcome pick-me-ups.

“Having been behind a hospital trolley myself and seeing how the warm-hearted volunteers can raise patients’ spirits, I can only imagine how much they have been missed on wards over the past two years,” said Elaine.

“Now that trolley services are back, I am urging people to see for themselves what a remarkable difference they can make to the wellbeing of someone who’s likely experiencing a difficult time.

“Donating your time to support others is a wonderful thing. You don’t have to have any special skills and you certainly don’t need to sing to patients as I did. Your time and compassion are enough to brighten someone’s day.”

Chris Gray, Royal Voluntary Service head of retail, said: “We are thrilled to see the return of our fantastic Royal Sussex County Hospital and Crawley Hospital trolley services. Trolley and retail volunteers find the experience incredibly rewarding.

“By offering essential items to patients, they help make their stay in hospital that bit brighter and bring real joy to the wards, but they also help to ease pressure on hardworking clinical staff.

“Trolley service volunteers also offer a friendly face to patients who, unfortunately, don’t receive any visitors, helping them avoid loneliness and aiding them in their recovery.

“We urgently need more trolley and retail volunteers to step forward and help us to provide these vital services to more patients in Sussex, more often.”

To find out more about volunteering to support the NHS visit: royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/volunteering/