They’re Making A Difference! Trust volunteers who support end of life patients are shortlisted for BBC award
Volunteers who support patients receiving end of life care at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust have reached the final of a BBC competition.
The Community Butterfly Volunteer Service works with patients who may have few visitors or whose family and friends may need some respite.
Members of the pioneering service – the first of its kind in the country – have been shortlisted in the Community Group category in the BBC Cambridgeshire Make A Difference Awards.
Louisa Bullivant, Voluntary Services Manager at CPFT which provides care for older people and those with long-term conditions and mental health services, said: “We are delighted to have nominated and now shortlisted for the BBC Make A Difference Awards. Everyone involved with service - and especially our wonderful volunteers - fully deserve this recognition.”
The service was devised and funded by the Trust’s Head to Toe charity together with CPFT’s community nurses and voluntary services team. They have worked in partnership with the Anne Robson Trust which has supported a number of other NHS organisations nationwide to start similar schemes.
Helen Goold, Community Butterfly Volunteer Co-ordinator (pictured, right), said: “Since we began looking for volunteers, the most wonderful group of caring and committed people have joined us. The qualities and experience they have brought with them is helping the service become a big success and supporting many patients being cared for at our Trust.”
Hannah Wysocki, Head of Charity for Head to Toe, said: “As the charity of CPFT we are always looking for ways to help enhance the services the Trust’s teams provide. We know this partnership with our community nurses, voluntary services and the Anne Robson Trust is providing vital support for our Trust’s patients.”
The Make A Difference Awards are taking place on Friday, 19 September in Cambridge.
CPFT’s community nurses – who treat older patients and those with long-term physical health conditions in their own homes – provide end of life care.
The Anne Robson Trust has more than 15 Butterfly Services across the country working within acute hospitals. The partnership with Trust is the first time a Butterfly Service has been launched in the community, with volunteers mirroring the work of community nurses by visiting patients in their homes.
Anyone interested in finding out more about the Community Butterfly Service or other volunteering opportunities at CPFT should contact volunteers.CPFT@cpft.nhs.uk.
CPFT provides community physical health services for older people and adults with long term conditions, mental health services, children community services in Peterborough and learning disability services. The Trust is also renowned for its research and development work and in June 2025, CPFT was awarded Teaching Partner status by the University of Cambridge.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Andy Burrows, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
Deputy Head of Communications
E communications@cpft.nhs.uk