According to Jimmy Tsui, acting general manager for administrative services, about 150 volunteers help out at the hospice. Of these, nearly 100 assist on a regular basis.

'Some people come to us because their friends or relatives died in the hospice and they appreciate what we do; others simply call up and want to volunteer,' Mr Tsui said.

The institution's guiding principle is to increase volunteers' understanding of palliative care services and encourage their participation in the everyday running of the hospice. This is done by helping the staff look after patients and their family members.

'The volunteer programme ranges from arranging flowers and serving tea and snacks to feeding patients if they can't eat by themselves, or organising outings,' Mr Tsui said.

Other activities assigned to volunteers include manning the reception counter, assisting with library services and spending time in the daycare centre.

'Typically, volunteers might be asked to wheel patients to the centre, which is quite a distance from the hospital, feed them and arrange for some entertainment,' he said.

Mr Tsui said the hospice also looked after patients who stayed at home, so volunteers might have to make home visits to attend to specific needs.

Some activities are done on an ad hoc basis, with volunteers contributing as and when they have some free time.

There is also a mandatory eight-hour basic training course for all volunteers who are expected to have direct contact with patients. This covers a range of health-care topics, such as infection control and the hospice concept. Also, senior therapists give special instructions on how to handle patients and lift them correctly.

Mr Tsui has a word of caution for students and fresh graduates who are keen to help out.

'It can be quite difficult for young people as we serve terminally ill patients,' he said. 'We have very few young volunteers because we are afraid they will have trouble coming to terms with the kind of work we do.'

He said the best way to get involved initially might be to do some technical work or back-room work, rather than go straight into the psychologically challenging area of patient care.

Name: The Bradbury Hospice

Mission: Care for terminally ill patients

Where: 17 A Kung Kok Shan Road, Sha Tin

Time Required: Varies

Number of Members; 150

Do I have to pay: No