How our service can help you
The Community Butterfly Volunteer Service is a volunteer led service, supporting patients who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness or condition. It is for people registered with a GP in Peterborough, Merchford House GP Surgery, March and The Grove Medical Practice, St Ives, with the view of rolling out in the coming months to the other GP surgeries in Fenland and St Ives. The service is currently funded by Head to Toe. 
Volunteers connect and engage people by offering:
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1- 2 hours a week visits, the duration of the support will depend on your needs and wishes
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Talking and listening, providing companionship
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Reading, singing gently or sitting quietly, providing company
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Holding hands, giving gentle hand massages if requested and appropriate
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Provide a consistent relationship throughout your journey
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Offering small amounts of respite to the patient’s family or carers, staying with the patient while they take a break
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Support you to access information regarding local support available to them
What can I expect from a volunteer?
Support is offered in person in your home. Volunteers can provide:
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Emotional support
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Access to Information to other community services
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Companionship to reduce loneliness.
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Opportunities for you , and your support network to discuss your wishes.
About our volunteers
Volunteers are dedicated members of the community who have a desire to help others. As a volunteer, they come to the Trust with their own knowledge, skills, and qualities that they can pass on to you and your support network from your diagnosis.
Volunteers undergo Trust mandatory training and enhanced end of life care training which has been developed by CPFT Voluntary Services in collaboration with the Anne Robson Trust. Click here for more details about the Anne Robson Trust and click here for more details about Head to Toe.
Volunteers receive supervision (both in a peer group and 1:1 capacity) and adhere to the policies and procedures of CPFT.
Click here for more details and to volunteer.
Contact the service
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Peterborough Community Butterfly Volunteer Coordinator: Helen Goold
March and St Ives Community Butterfly Volunteer Coordinator: Gina EdwardsT: 01733 318700
E: butterflyvolunteerservice@cpft.nhs.uk
Referral Information
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For any interest in referrals please email ButterflyVolunteerservice@cpft.nhs.uk
A Butterfly Coordinator will contact you to discuss how best the service, and its dedicated volunteers called "Butterflies" can support you. Prior to being matched to a Butterfly, the coordinator will work with you to understand what’s important to you, and how the presence of a Butterfly may help as you prepare for the future.
Please note: the Community Butterfly Volunteer Service is not a clinical service, and does not provide clinical interventions.
Carers Information
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A carer is anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid.
At Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, we value the often life-long support carers provide and recognise them as equal care partners. We want to offer as much guidance and reassurance as possible, to help you in your caring role. You can find general information and support for adult carers, young carers and parent carers by following this link.