Celebrating those who donate their time at SMHS
RGH volunteers Tony and Janette Davies
Across South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) there are more 800 volunteers making a valuable contribution to improving the experiences of our patients, visitors and staff.
This International Volunteer Day (5 December 2021), we showcase just some of our many dedicated volunteers and find out why they volunteer at SMHS.
Happy International Volunteer Day and a big thank you to every one of our wonderful volunteers - your passion, dedication and good will is an absolute asset to our service, patients, visitors and staff.
Anthony and Janette Davies
81-year-old Anthony (Tony) Davies and 78-year-old Janette Davies have been married for fifty-six years and they are both volunteers at Rockingham General Hospital (RGH) for 16 and 12 years respectively.
On why they volunteer, Janette said she wanted something to keep her occupied.
“Volunteering is great because you get to meet so many different people, it’s social and I love it,” Janette said.
“I get a lot of people thanking me when they leave after I’ve helped them find their way through the hospital or in the gift shop and I like to have a laugh with people.”
As a volunteer driver, Tony said he fell into volunteering at RGH after Janette started volunteering.
“I’ve always liked driving, this gets me out of the house, it’s a nice feeling helping people,” Tony said.
“I pick people up from home and bring them to the hospital and then take them home again in the bus. I get to meet a lot of people.”
Both Tony and Janette said their volunteer roles have helped them come out of their shell and be more social.
Tony is planning to retire from driving but will do relief volunteering occasionally because he still really enjoys it.
“It’s a big responsibility driving people around, so I’ll do it for as long as I can.”
Christian Wancer
For starters, as an R&B musician he has travelled the world recording and performing which led to sharing the stage with the likes of Justin Timberlake and 50 Cent.
Following a car accident and a lengthy stint at Shenton Park rehab, Christian heard about the volunteering program via his case worker who works at FSH.
“I really wanted to give back after all the support and care I received during my recovery,” Christian said.
“I love helping and showing people where to go to their appointments and procedures, it makes such a difference to them.”
Christian is very popular with the people he helps, some have even emailed the manager of volunteer services and requested he get a raise.
“People try to tip me and then get offended when I say no,” Christian said.
Christian still records every week and recently worked with a producer via Skype during the pandemic.
Judith Balfe
“As the CAC Vice Chair I get to be on many different committees and just recently I started attending the Virtual Emergency Medicine meeting with Fiona Stanley Hospital,” Judith said.
“I’m also a very active fundraiser because of my nursing career I know that funding is always difficult in hospitals.”
But Judith said her favourite part of volunteering is regularly visiting older patients living with functional decline who are on the Aged Care and Rehabilitation Unit (ACRU) ward.
“Once a nurse, always a nurse – I just love it, I love taking patients for walks, to the café for a coffee and just doing nice things with them,” Judith said.
“It’s been wonderful, some of the patients even ring me on a regular basis now to have a chat and tell me how they’re going – it’s just lovely.”
Margaret Brede
“I love the variety at FSH, you could be anywhere in the hospital assisting people, from ED to helping the shift coordinator to visiting wards, and I’ve made some great friends,” Margaret said.
Margaret does one shift a week in between spending time with her grandchildren and 99-year-old mother.
“The great thing about volunteering is you always come away thinking you’ve made a difference.”
The former school principal first took up volunteering at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital for the Cancer Council following her retirement in 2011.
Chelsea Ann Ayling
“I started work experience at the hospital during school and when I finished, the ladies asked me if I could come back because they loved me,” Chelsea said.
Chelsea has been working once a week in the kitchen ever since, preparing sandwiches, doing the dishes and helping where needed.
Chelsea said her favourite thing about coming to the hospital was seeing the other ladies and going to the volunteer Christmas function.
“I like making new friends, I just love volunteering here and don’t see myself leaving anytime soon.”
Pam Robinson
“Some people come into the hospital and don’t know how to be a patient, so it helps to sit with them, chat, calm their nerves and through this you hear some really interesting life stories,” Pam said.
“I love the diversity, from directing patients, to sitting with them in ED (at FSH) to helping out in the wards.
“The volunteer programs at FH and FSH are very different to other places, it’s so well run, and the ages of the volunteers are wide ranging.”
Pam is no stranger to health care having worked as a nurse for 20 years before moving into hospital management in California, Abu Dhabi and the Philippines.
Rae Endersby
Rae said she and the other ladies operate a voluntary patient trolley service to deliver basic essentials to patients and run fundraising stalls and raffles to raise funds for items that staff request via a wish list.
“Most recently the Friends of MDH have purchased a blanket warmer, ice machine and keyboard for patients,” Rae said.
Rae said she took up volunteering when she lost her husband suddenly and needed something to fill the gap and she decided on MDH because she knew some of the ladies who volunteered there.
On what it’s like to volunteer at MDH, Rae said it’s nice because it is a small hospital.
“I have gotten to know the nurses and staff, it’s like a family. Everyone is willing to help us out when they can,” Rae said.
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