Dee Hunter: State Treasurer of the United Hospital Auxiliaries (UHA) of NSW.
Dedicated volunteer appointed UHA state treasurer
Jan 10, 2024Dee Hunter of Nambucca Heads has been elected as State Treasurer of the United Hospital Auxiliaries (UHA) of NSW.
In addition to her new role on the UHA State Executive, Dee volunteers every week in the UHA Café at Macksville District Hospital, and is well known among hospital volunteers on the Mid North Coast as she has been their Regional Representative for the past six years.
Her appointment to State Treasurer comes with added responsibilities, which Dee says she’s happy to do for an organisation that does extraordinary work for the state’s public hospitals and its patients.
“Our members are truly remarkable people. Many of them have spent more than half their life in service to their local hospital, its staff and patients,” Dee said.
“In the 2022/2023 financial year, our volunteers donated a massive $3.2 million in hospital equipment to health sites across the state and worked a total number of 469,000 voluntary hours.
“As well as this, our volunteers are valued by the health community for the difference they make to the environment of local health facilities, with their cheerful outlook and caring commitment to the comfort and care of patients and staff.
“It takes a lot of dedication and commitment, which is why we are trying to encourage younger volunteers to join our UHA family.
“I was delighted to see a younger executive elected for our Dorrigo branch. The new President and Treasurer at Bellingen are also stepping up with new ideas to continue the sterling legacy of that branch, which started in 1938.”
The UHA of NSW is a registered charity that has 167 branches across 12 regions, including the North Eastern region. Branches in the northeast include Bellingen Hospital and Pink Ladies, BowraMacksville, Camden Haven, Coffs Harbour Pink Ladies, Dorrigo, Kempsey District Hospital and Pink Lades, Nambucca Heads, Port Macquarie Pink Ladies, Taree, Wingham and Wauchope.
In the past year, hospitals from Dorrigo and Coffs in the north to Port Macquarie and Wauchope in the south have benefited from almost $458,000 in donated equipment and patient comfort items. Every dollar raised is the result of dedicated UHA volunteers giving countless hours to the cause by working in hospital cafes, holding street stalls, running gift shops, and selling raffle tickets.
Thousands more hours are given in direct support of patients through the Pink Ladies’ famous trolley services.
Dee Hunter was officially recognised as State Treasurer at the UHA’s 90th annual State Conference in Newcastle.