The HelpForce initiative aims to double the number of volunteers working in the NHS, coordinating their work with that of paid staff and involving them in crucial areas such as patient discharge

For the family of a child with cancer, an overflowing garden shed or unruly lawn might not seem the most pressing of problems. But according to senior nurse David Widdas, it can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. ‘One parent called it a job too far,’ says Mr Widdas, a consultant nurse in the children’s community nursing team at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust. ‘They had this garden shed that had to be cleared, and they really needed the space.