Volunteering with Palliative Care ACT’s Life Stories program is a unique and deeply meaningful way to help people reflect on, record, and preserve the stories that matter most to them.
As a Life Stories volunteer, you are carefully matched with a person who wants to document their life, special memories, or a particular chapter of their life in their own words. The stories shared are guided by what matters most to them. This might include life experiences, reflections, family history, favourite recipes, personal messages for loved ones, or other meaningful memories they would like to preserve.
Your role is to listen with care, guide conversations gently, and help capture their story exactly as they would like it told. You create a safe and respectful space for storytelling, allowing the person to share memories and reflections at their own pace.
After an initial conversation with the Life Stories Coordinator, you visit the person for around an hour each week (or as otherwise agreed), usually over a period of up to ten weeks. Between visits, you prepare the story in the person’s chosen format so they can review and make any changes. This may include written text, audio recordings, or other formats.
Once the story is complete, you personally deliver the final product—whether a printed book, a digital written copy, or audio recordings—directly to the person and their family. Many volunteers describe this moment as one of the most rewarding parts of the program, seeing the joy, pride, and connection their work creates.
Life Stories volunteering is about more than writing. It’s about honouring a person’s life, listening with compassion, and helping create something lasting that brings comfort, pride, and connection to both the individual and their loved ones.
Skills and qualities for Life Stories volunteers
Life Stories volunteers come from many different backgrounds. While writing experience can be helpful, the most important qualities are empathy and a genuine interest in people’s lives. Skills and attributes that are particularly valuable include:
- Ability to build rapport and create a safe space for conversation
- Respect for different life experiences, cultures, and perspectives
- Basic writing or storytelling ability
- Attention to detail when documenting stories
- Comfort using basic technology for recording or preparing documents
- Ability to gently guide conversations while allowing the storyteller to lead
Training, support, and guidance are provided, and volunteers are never expected to navigate difficult situations alone.
How to get involved
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Palliative Care ACT. We are not currently recruiting new volunteers. Please check back later or follow our social media for future opportunities.
“It’s the tangibles and the relationships you establish, and the connections you make to people, that is the really rewarding thing” – Sarah, volunteer.
