1 July 2016

Celebration of our volunteers

Our hospital and community volunteers have been thanked for their services to our patients and the local community at our annual volunteers celebration event.

The event was attended by 31 volunteers who were presented with certificates in recognition of their length of service. In total 41 have been recognised for their length of voluntary service; one for 35 years, one for 25 years, five for 20 years, 10 for 15 years, 23 for 10 years’ with one Rye volunteer who was leaving after 18 years service. This totals a combined 558 years’ service.

Volunteers at the celebration event at the Cooden Beach Hotel

Volunteers at the celebration event at the Cooden Beach Hotel

There are around 800 registered volunteers in the local community and at Bexhill Hospital, Conquest Hospital, Eastbourne DGH and Rye, Winchelsea and District Memorial Hospital working in many different areas. Our volunteers give their time free for a minimum of four hours a week with many working longer hours.

Alice Webster, Director of Nursing for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We are extremely grateful for the work undertaken by the many volunteers in our hospitals. They all share one common thing – they give the precious gift of time. It is time freely given, in many cases a considerable amount of time, which all helps contribute to a better experience for our patients and visitors. The work, commitment and enthusiasm of our volunteers are a superb example to us all and a great service to the local community.”

Phil Moon, Radio DGH Volunteer, 35 year awardee said: “Why do I volunteer? For me it’s ongoing pay-back time! I was born blind with congenital cataracts and after seven, three hour operations (my how things have improved!) and thanks to the brilliant care at Great Ormond Street Hospital I was finally able to see. On the morning of my final operation I had a record dedicated to me – ‘Oh what a Beautiful Morning’ from Oklahoma. I have never forgotten the emotion of hearing that on the radio and am now repaying that gesture on a continuing basis. Since then it has been proved that music in hospital forms part of the healing process…but then I already knew that!”

Pauline Glover, Conquest Chaplaincy Volunteer, 10 year awardee said: “I became a volunteer for the Chaplaincy 10 years ago. I felt called to visit and talk to patients, as so often when I had visited family or friends I noticed that some people did not have any visitors at all. I knew my Pastor was a Chaplain on this team and talked to him about being part of the team. I don’t visit with the initial thought of preaching to patients but to be a listening ear and if they then question me about my faith I am more than happy to answer their questions. It is a great team to be part of and rewarding in so many ways. Puts our problems into perspective!”

If you would like more details about becoming a hospital volunteer contact our Volunteer Co-ordinators:

Eastbourne area – Zoe Yousefi – Tel: (01323) 417400 Ext: 4880
Hastings and Bexhill – Yvette Hamilton – Tel: (01424) 755255 Ext: 8496