Deb Anderson of Bellingen, Waveney Ayscough of Bellingen, Lorraine Edmond of BowraMacksville, State Treasurer and BowraMacksville Treasurer Dee Hunter, and Lizzie Bennett and Lexie Francis of Dorrigo with their branch certificates acknowledging fundraising efforts and hours donated to their local hospitals.
UHA volunteers working to make volunteering cool
Nov 10, 2024By Waveney Ayscough
Bellingen Hospital and Pink Auxiliary President
“If you are not out in the community, you won’t understand the community”. The quote that resonated for me today, is the first day of the 91st annual United Hospital Auxiliaries of NSW Conference at Bankstown Sports Club.
How do we get more people of a greater diversity interested in the hospital auxiliary?
How do we make people realise how important it is to help out a cause that is used by so many?
How can volunteering become ‘cool’?
This year the theme of the annual 2024 UHA conference is change and growth. Change is what we need to keep the hospital auxiliaries going.
We began with a glamorous cocktail party on Tuesday evening, then on Wednesday morning it was down to business with reports and resolutions. The following day awards and achievements were recognised including the 12 Life Members. Guest speakers punctuated the proceedings.
In the words of guest speaker (West Wyalong UHA Branch President and Nurse) Louise McCabe, we need to plan for 20 years’ time. We need the best facilities in order to support the growth of our communities, especially regional communities that are underfunded and understaffed and are growing in population.
We have 3689 members of the UHA in NSW. This relatively small group of people have gifted almost $5 million worth of items to our hospitals and have put in 516 637 hours of work this financial year.
The Poet Amanda Gorman wrote “there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it.”
These illuminating words resonate with the very motto of the UHA; Let us hold high the lamp of service for the welfare of our hospitals…
We, as a collective, need to be that light that attracts. We do good things. Selfless things, wonderful, inspiring things for our community.
There is a sea of grey-haired ladies among the delegates. It is an incredible legacy these beautiful souls have created. But to survive we need a greater diversity of beautiful souls. Life has changed though. No longer are women staying at home and volunteering.
Grandparents are busy caring for grandchildren. The retirement age has gone up, women are out in the work force…things are different. Yet there were two absolutely amazing young women with very small babies at the conference. And their babies were embraced by the UHA community. If you really want to do it, you can.
The UHA (volunteers) aren’t just making cakes and knitting.
We are dynamic, passionate people trying to make a positive difference in our community on a shoestring budget. And we aren’t just women; men enjoy volunteering as well.
Some of the speakers today were actively trying to change legislation for their areas and upgrade the access to health care in regional areas. Ultimately, we connect with community, with people, and we make a difference because there is a real need in the community.
We need to find people who believe in the cause and I feel there would be hardly anyone who hasn’t needed a hospital.
We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. We give of ourselves. And the ultimate beauty is that it comes back to us… kindness and love are infinite.
Locally, Beryl and Helen from Coffs Harbour UHA have participated in Bunnings Sausage sizzles and they make a great amount of money with their busy café in the main foyer and their smaller coffee shop in the Mid North Coast Cancer Institute. I have been unfortunate (to be a patient there) and have been a customer at the café and their presence is much appreciated.
Dorrigo raises money providing wonderful treats for groups, the morning teas feature Lizzie’s divine collection of vintage teacups, (see their Facebook page), raffles, street stalls selling cakes and crafts, and the Made with Love Dorrigo Markets.
The Kempsey volunteers enjoy a hands-on approach with the patients and being very involved in the workings of the hospital, assisting the nurses. They host bowls days, Spring Fairs and of course the classic Bunnings sausage sizzles.
At Bellingen the café and raffles are the main source of revenue. We are a small campus but we make a big impact. We have some wonderful men joining our ranks, which is what we want to see. Our Facebook page being shared out to the local community has our presence known to the locals.
Smaller facilities are heavily dependent on the contributions of the auxiliaries. Stuart Emslie, Director of Nursing of Milton Ulladulla hospital, gave an excellent speech thanking all the UHA members on behalf of every staff member as the auxiliary enables the medical teams to do their job as best as they can.
He advised us to be open to change, be flexible and to look for new opportunities. He reminded us to celebrate our achievements, use social media and to connect with each other. Stuart reminded us that we are not an appendage to the hospital; we are an active partner to the hospital.
When Jason Sotiris of the Super Tee charity spoke, the majority of the audience were in tears. He spoke of overcoming adversity and the story of how his little girl overcame cancer. Jason’s inspiring speech had the audience clinging to his every word. His charity created and distributes special medical garments that are designed to look like fun costumes which make it easier for parents and hospital staff to change children.
They also provide access to medical lines and allow for imaginative play. Jason told us “The antidote to suffering is kindness”. It is.
It is what volunteers give in spades. He said we were ‘his people’.
The conference was a fantastic way to network and to discover how other areas are raising their money and it was a lot of fun.
Dorrigo, Bello and Macksville may have enjoyed some cocktails and laughs together on our free nights. It was great to be able to connect with other volunteers and to witness how dynamic and interesting we are.
The presence of a kind smile, a warm touch, a reassuring word, is priceless, especially when you are vulnerable. The benevolent connection from UHA volunteers is the essence of light and love. It is the people who choose to give their time who are in essence the very light within the ‘lamp of service’.
I hope you feel inspired to join us into the unknown, moving forward, changing, and growing.