11 February 2015
AWP appreciates volunteers
Volunteers gathered at
the Callington Road hospital in Bristol on Friday 30 January for
the AWP Volunteer Appreciation Event.
The event, organised by Carolyn Gibson, Voluntary Service
Administrator, was a way of thanking volunteers for the valuable
work they do for the Trust.
Volunteers were welcomed with tea and cakes and thanked for all
they do to support service users and staff by Linda Hutchings, Head
of Patient Safety Systems. There are around 150 volunteers working
at the Trust with activities ranging from taking exercise classes
to gardening to music classes.
Volunteers were also asked for feedback about the process of
becoming a volunteer in AWP and about what motivated them to do
volunteer work.
There were many positive comments about volunteering from those
attending the event.One volunteer said that they felt nervous when
they started volunteering but that staff, 'were very welcoming and
supportive so my confidence began to grow.' Another volunteer said
that they most enjoyed: 'Meeting and helping people' and their
advice for any prospective volunteers was: 'Give it a try!'
Carolyn said, '"It's important that volunteers are recognised
for the difference they make to the patients and carers in the
local community and the event was a great way to do
this."
To hear a podcast with a Trust volunteer and a staff member
talking about the benefits of volunteer work, click
here to go to the involvement page for the
website and click the music symbol to listen.
If you are interested in volunteering, contact the volunteer
team on 01380 731304 or awp.volunteering@nhs.net to find out
more.