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Thank you to our amazing volunteers who have clocked up an outstanding 38,947 hours over the past year
Volunteers at our Trust (WSFT) attended a special event to celebrate their hard work and achievements over the past year, including the presentation of 18 long service awards. More than 300 volunteers have donated an incredible 38,947 hours of their time to support the Trust, which has seen an 8.6% increase in its volunteer workforce in 2024/25.
The celebration event, which took place on Monday, 9 June at the Southgate Community Centre in Bury St Edmunds, provided an opportunity for staff at WSFT to acknowledge the dedication and depth of support of the Trust’s volunteers, and thank them for giving their time.
One of these fantastic individuals is Bury St Edmunds local Diane Rogers, who collected an award for her 20 years of service at the Trust. Diane currently volunteers in the Friends of West Suffolk Hospital shop. She said: “I started volunteering at the Trust on ward F6 and then moved over to the Friends shop. People are always surprised by how much we have in our little shop, and I really enjoy showing customers all the different things they can find.”
In her spare time, Diane kindly crochets blankets, and brings them in every week to be sold in the shop. Over the years, she has made a whopping 890 blankets to stock up the shop and help fundraise for the grants that the Friends of WSH give annually.
Lizzie English, manager of the Friends shop, thanked Diane for all her hard work: “Diane was there when I first started 19 years ago, and she has become a dear friend. She is such a great support, very popular with the customers and very reliable.”
The Trust’s volunteer services lead Lee Ranson said: “Volunteers are the heart of our work across the Trust, in both hospital and community settings. They support us to provide high quality care and great patient satisfaction.
“I thank all our volunteers so much for your efforts and the value and expertise you continue to give to our patients and staff. Thank you for coming in every day to volunteer with us, rain or shine, and thank you for being yourselves, and sharing your personalities and kindness. Each volunteer brings a unique skillset to their role, and it is truly an honour and a privilege to be able to lead this group of amazing people.
“The Trust has a huge variety of volunteer roles, and the student volunteering programme continues to grow.
This year has seen the highest recorded attendance at the Trust’s Health and Care Academy for 15-18 year olds, with further opportunities available for clinical shadowing.” This year volunteer services developed and recruited into nine new roles, including patient companions, opportunities in hearing aid repair and library support, and roles within the new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Newmarket. The team also created a dedicated learning and development space and forum for Trust volunteers, which is a quarterly opportunity for volunteers to focus on dementia awareness and suggest other areas they wish to develop their skills and knowledge in.
Sally Wall, information desk volunteer who received an award for 15 years of service at the event, started volunteering at the Trust when her husband was very unwell. On one of their visits to the hospital, Sally saw the volunteer services office and got inspired to give it a try. Her husband teased her and said she’d never actually do it, so Sally took on the challenge, and 15 years later she still enjoys it just as much as the day she started. Sally explained: “I love volunteering at the hospital.
“People come and visit the information desk for all kinds of reasons, and the role is so varied. Deciding to become a volunteer is the best thing I ever did!”
Lorraine Fairhead has been volunteering at the Trust for 28 years, and she spends her time on the information desk and supporting the diabetes team.
She shared some words of advice for anyone considering volunteering at the Trust: “I love volunteering because it takes me out of my own head and whatever I have going on. It’s all worth it to make somebody smile, and I would encourage anyone to give it a go. “You feel really appreciated here, and it feels good to know you’re making an impact.”
Ewen Cameron, chief executive officer at WSFT, shared his gratitude to the volunteers in an address at the event on behalf of the whole Trust: “Every single one of you brings something different to this Trust, and as I walk round the hospital and visit community sites, I am privileged to witness the huge impact each of you have on your departments and areas. “Colleagues tell me how grateful they are for your support, and I want to personally say a massive thank you for everything you do – please keep up the good work!”
At the event, volunteers enjoyed cakes and sweet treats sponsored by the Trust’s MyWiSH charity and were able to catch up with one another in the space kindly provided free of charge by the Southgate Community Centre to celebrate the value of volunteering.
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