Volunteers celebrated as part of 'Hywel Dda' Volunteers Week
Press release from Hywel Dda Health Board:
Ann volunteers in the Accident and Emergency department in Withybush Hospital.
Her role includes providing a befriending service as appropriate to patients for reassurance and moral support and providing beverages and refreshments for patients, family members and staff.
She said: “Volunteering has made a very big difference to my life and given me a better outlook on life. Most people say it is good to be able to have a drink while they are waiting and good to talk to patients when they are own there own. The nurses are also grateful for all you do to help them.”
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Hywel Dda Health Board are celebrating their hundreds of fantastic volunteers who give up their free time to help patients and staff.
As part of National Volunteer Week people are being asked to use social media to tell the Health Board if you have had contact with a volunteer – they are easy to spot they wear distinctive yellow t-shirts or tabards!
If you see any of our volunteers tell us where at www.facebook.com/hywelddahealthboard or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/hywelddahb and please go up and say thank you to them.
David Fretwell, Head of Volunteering Services, said: “We are lucky to have some fantastic volunteers working across the Health Board and we hope people take this opportunity to say thank you and publicly raise the profile of their hard work.”
There are more than 200 volunteers throughout the health board undertaking more than 70 different roles.
As part of National Volunteer Week people are being asked to use social media to tell the Health Board if you have had contact with a volunteer – they are easy to spot they wear distinctive yellow t-shirts or tabards!
If you see any of our volunteers tell us where at www.facebook.com/hywelddahealthboard or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/hywelddahb and please go up and say thank you to them.
David Fretwell, Head of Volunteering Services, said: “We are lucky to have some fantastic volunteers working across the Health Board and we hope people take this opportunity to say thank you and publicly raise the profile of their hard work.”
There are more than 200 volunteers throughout the health board undertaking more than 70 different roles.
Below is just a snap shot of some of them:
Her role includes providing a befriending service as appropriate to patients for reassurance and moral support and providing beverages and refreshments for patients, family members and staff.
She said: “Volunteering has made a very big difference to my life and given me a better outlook on life. Most people say it is good to be able to have a drink while they are waiting and good to talk to patients when they are own there own. The nurses are also grateful for all you do to help them.”
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Amy was part of the Prince’s Trust Get into Health Program with the Health Board and become a volunteer following to get more experience and a better insight into the NHS.
She is a member of the Meet & Greet Volunteer Service in Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest and helps visitors to find the wards patients are on and if needed take the visitor to the ward.
She said: “I have improved my personal skills such as gained more confidence as I’m always meeting members of the public whilst volunteering. Visitors are really pleased to see a welcoming face on the reception desk and get the help they need to find family, relatives and friends who are patients in hospital.”
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She is a member of the Meet & Greet Volunteer Service in Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest and helps visitors to find the wards patients are on and if needed take the visitor to the ward.
She said: “I have improved my personal skills such as gained more confidence as I’m always meeting members of the public whilst volunteering. Visitors are really pleased to see a welcoming face on the reception desk and get the help they need to find family, relatives and friends who are patients in hospital.”
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Sophie is a volunteer with the Communications Department.
She said: “After graduating from university I had no practical experience of working in a press office and was missing out on various jobs that came along because of this. I was already working for the Health Board so when the chance to volunteer came along I jumped at it!
“Every week volunteering with the communications team is different. In the past I’ve written press releases, taken photos for Hywel’s Voice and shadowed staff for public meetings. In the morning I could be working on the Health Board’s social networking sites and in the afternoon finding out about projects and ideas such as supporting Volunteering for Health.
“I’d like to think that my volunteering has made a difference. I’m not in direct contact with patients or visitors the same way a volunteer on the wards is, but whenever I have met patients they are always supportive of it.
“When I first started volunteering one of the first pieces of work I did was with the Acute Response Team (ART) across the three counties.
“I was invited to interview a patient with the team while he was being treated at home. After seeing first-hand how he grateful he was to the staff and how they had become lifelong friends because of it made me feel privileged to write about him. You don’t always hear about the great work that’s being done in the Health Board, which is why the Communications Team is so important to ensure it is heard."
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“Every week volunteering with the communications team is different. In the past I’ve written press releases, taken photos for Hywel’s Voice and shadowed staff for public meetings. In the morning I could be working on the Health Board’s social networking sites and in the afternoon finding out about projects and ideas such as supporting Volunteering for Health.
“I’d like to think that my volunteering has made a difference. I’m not in direct contact with patients or visitors the same way a volunteer on the wards is, but whenever I have met patients they are always supportive of it.
“When I first started volunteering one of the first pieces of work I did was with the Acute Response Team (ART) across the three counties.
“I was invited to interview a patient with the team while he was being treated at home. After seeing first-hand how he grateful he was to the staff and how they had become lifelong friends because of it made me feel privileged to write about him. You don’t always hear about the great work that’s being done in the Health Board, which is why the Communications Team is so important to ensure it is heard."
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Jindra has managed to get a job within the Health Board after volunteering to gain work experience.
She said: “In Y Bryn I help with many aspects of office work that is involved in recruiting and training new volunteers as well as contacting existing volunteers. I also help health visitors with filing, photocopying and similar tasks. My confidence has risen dramatically since I started volunteering, I have also gained insight into working in an office and learned a lot of practical skills I knew only in theory.
“As a volunteer I was also able to apply for internal jobs with the NHS, use my volunteering as an example of experience at interviews and I also received a reference. I have now been accepted for a job, without my volunteering that would not have been possible. I am always being thanked for my help and I believe that my contribution makes a lot of difference to staff, giving them more time to spend dealing with people rather than paperwork.”
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She said: “In Y Bryn I help with many aspects of office work that is involved in recruiting and training new volunteers as well as contacting existing volunteers. I also help health visitors with filing, photocopying and similar tasks. My confidence has risen dramatically since I started volunteering, I have also gained insight into working in an office and learned a lot of practical skills I knew only in theory.
“As a volunteer I was also able to apply for internal jobs with the NHS, use my volunteering as an example of experience at interviews and I also received a reference. I have now been accepted for a job, without my volunteering that would not have been possible. I am always being thanked for my help and I believe that my contribution makes a lot of difference to staff, giving them more time to spend dealing with people rather than paperwork.”
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Vicky volunteers in Dinefwr ward in Glangwili Hospital as a Breastfeeding Support Volunteer and with the Sure Start Team, Llanelli, as a Mentoring Support Volunteer.
She said: “I wanted to volunteer primarily to broaden my knowledge and gain a better understanding of children’s services in its entirety with a view to become a midwife eventually.
“Volunteering has undoubtedly increased my confidence, helped on the educational side to strengthen my application for midwifery and has been instrumental I believe, for me to gain a place on a midwifery course for the coming September in Swansea University.
“As part of volunteering I have completed a wide array of courses including the Breastfeeding peer support course, a mentoring course, corporate induction and a Moving and Handling Course.
“As volunteers you give the patients, relatives, visitors more time and thus put them at ease.”
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“Volunteering has undoubtedly increased my confidence, helped on the educational side to strengthen my application for midwifery and has been instrumental I believe, for me to gain a place on a midwifery course for the coming September in Swansea University.
“As part of volunteering I have completed a wide array of courses including the Breastfeeding peer support course, a mentoring course, corporate induction and a Moving and Handling Course.
“As volunteers you give the patients, relatives, visitors more time and thus put them at ease.”
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Lucy volunteers on Cilgerran ward at Glangwili Hospital
She said: “As a volunteer on Cilgerran, there are many things that I am able to be involved with including supporting the children and their parents during procedures, assisting them on their way to theatre and x-ray, I provide play time and creative activities to break up their stay at hospital and assist all staff in any way which could include photocopying, replenishing stocks etc.
It is good that we as volunteers are there to help staff as we have the time to do the little things that aren’t able to be done on a daily basis such as re-vamp the playroom, even if it means sharpening pencils for hours or sorting out books into age related sections or moving furniture to make things more accessible
“Volunteering has definitely made a huge difference to me. In addition to growing in confidence and feelings of self-worth, believe it or not, since becoming a volunteer, my life has changed dramatically!! Six months into the volunteering, I gained employment with NHS Hotel Services which provided me with great experience of a different kind-working on adult wards which then led me to yet another change of employment as a Health Care Support Worker which I am thoroughly enjoying and continually learning. I have since applied to do my Child’s Nursing degree at Swansea University and have received an unconditional offer on the course, due to start in September this year. I am completely in shock as places on the paediatric course are very limited but I have no doubt that the skills and experiences I have gained through being a volunteer have contributed enormously towards my success.
“I would like to think that as a volunteer, we make a difference to patients, visitors and staff at the hospital. On a children’s ward especially as patients and their families appreciate the time that we have to spend with their children that nursing staff don’t always get. Also, I feel that as a volunteer, parents are able and want to come to us and have a chat about anything that they feel they need to, without feeling intimidated. Sometimes people are afraid to ask questions they want to know as they don’t want to seem a nuisance whereas we are there to be the go-between if needed. It also gives us as volunteers a sense of pride as it shows that we are approachable.
“I really would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Nia Gibbon of the Volunteering for Health Team and also to Sister Janet Millward for providing me with this wonderful opportunity of being a volunteer on Cilgerran ward. This amazing experience has created a firm basis of all factors in a clinical setting and I have thoroughly enjoyed every single minute.”
It is good that we as volunteers are there to help staff as we have the time to do the little things that aren’t able to be done on a daily basis such as re-vamp the playroom, even if it means sharpening pencils for hours or sorting out books into age related sections or moving furniture to make things more accessible
“Volunteering has definitely made a huge difference to me. In addition to growing in confidence and feelings of self-worth, believe it or not, since becoming a volunteer, my life has changed dramatically!! Six months into the volunteering, I gained employment with NHS Hotel Services which provided me with great experience of a different kind-working on adult wards which then led me to yet another change of employment as a Health Care Support Worker which I am thoroughly enjoying and continually learning. I have since applied to do my Child’s Nursing degree at Swansea University and have received an unconditional offer on the course, due to start in September this year. I am completely in shock as places on the paediatric course are very limited but I have no doubt that the skills and experiences I have gained through being a volunteer have contributed enormously towards my success.
“I would like to think that as a volunteer, we make a difference to patients, visitors and staff at the hospital. On a children’s ward especially as patients and their families appreciate the time that we have to spend with their children that nursing staff don’t always get. Also, I feel that as a volunteer, parents are able and want to come to us and have a chat about anything that they feel they need to, without feeling intimidated. Sometimes people are afraid to ask questions they want to know as they don’t want to seem a nuisance whereas we are there to be the go-between if needed. It also gives us as volunteers a sense of pride as it shows that we are approachable.
“I really would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Nia Gibbon of the Volunteering for Health Team and also to Sister Janet Millward for providing me with this wonderful opportunity of being a volunteer on Cilgerran ward. This amazing experience has created a firm basis of all factors in a clinical setting and I have thoroughly enjoyed every single minute.”
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