It’s national Volunteers’ Week, an annual celebration and a time to say thank you to volunteers for the difference they make. Here at Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, we recognise every day the value that volunteers add to Team WCHC, but this week in particular we want to say thank you for their fantastic contribution.
This week we have sent Team WCHC thank you cards to all our volunteers, to extend an enormous heartfelt thank you to the wonderful people who so generously give their valuable time to services across the organisation. Volunteers add so much value to the Trust’s services, improving the health and care experiences of local patients, service users and their families.
The Trust has a dedicated group of over 90 volunteers, including Trust Governors, who work across all areas of the organisation providing vital support and expertise. Most volunteer for about four hours each week, but some do more, so that’s hundreds of hours of support that they kindly donate every week.
Covid-19 restrictions have meant that many of our volunteers have not been able to contribute in the same way they did pre-pandemic. During this time, some volunteers have taken the opportunity to support their local community instead, which has been wonderful to see. We have remained in contact with our volunteers over the pandemic and we are now all looking forward to welcoming them back again soon and the opportunities that will bring.
In other areas, some of our volunteers have been able to fulfil their role in a different way, utilising digital technology to support our services. Janet, a volunteer for the Trust who supports our standards assurance platform, an integral online system for all services, has continued to volunteer remotely during the pandemic. Janet said: “Having remote access to the various systems allowed me to continue supporting the Trust throughout the pandemic. During lockdown in particular, it was really positive to have a focus on something that was worthwhile, with the knowledge that I was also helping the Trust.”
Emma, Quality Lead for the Trust, added: “Having the support of Janet particularly over the last two years has been invaluable. Janet is well and truly part of the team and we don’t know what we would do without her. Thank you, Janet for being our amazing volunteer.”
Inspired to become a volunteer? You can visit our website www.wchc.nhs.uk/careers to find out more. Mo, who became a volunteer for the Trust aged 80, said: “I’d really recommend NHS volunteering to everyone. Volunteering has given me a real boost and helped me feel part of a team. I enjoy feeling useful and using my brain, it’s a good test for me. Becoming a volunteer in later life has made me feel more involved and like I am making a small difference with my contribution. It’s good to feel useful and keeps my mind focused, and it’s nice to have some routine in my life and learn new skills, even at my age.”
Volunteers’ Week is a great opportunity for us to say thank you to our volunteers at the Trust, but it is also a prompt for us all acknowledge the role volunteers play in our society. Throughout the pandemic, volunteers for St John Ambulance have administered vaccinations, in our everyday lives volunteers keep charity shops running, create beautiful outdoor community spaces for us to enjoy, inspire our children as Scout Leaders and train assistance dogs. What would our communities be without volunteers? We encourage you to show thanks for the volunteers in your local community.
Thank You Day, Sunday 5 June, is another wonderful opportunity to show our appreciation for the contributions of others. Join the millions of people who will be saying ‘Thank You’ on Sunday 5 June – the final day of the Jubilee weekend.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration is the perfect time to say thank you to everyone who has not only helped us through the last two years, but to those people who make our lives that little bit better every day. The Jubilee weekend will see friends, families, neighbours and communities come together to raise a glass to The Queen for 70 years’ outstanding service and to say a great big thank you to each other as well.
Who will you say thank you to? Visit our website www.wchc.nhs.uk/news for ideas on how to get involved with Thank You Day and say thank you to someone who makes a difference in your life.
