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Over 700 community members volunteer here at BCH. They have always been an integral part of our health service from its inception. We could not provide the type of service we do without these wonderful, dedicated community members.
Here are some examples of some of the 20 or more roles that exist for volunteers at BCH.
- We have school age teenagers who come to help for their Duke of Edinburgh Award and others who assist their parents with their volunteer work for the service.
- In our 2 hostels, young mums bring their babies into our hostels to 'warm the hearts' of residents, and young men bring their dogs into the hostels to make the hostels feel more like home. Volunteers talk, help with meals, and do all the things that make our hostels such friendly places to live.
- Over 100 Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver to homes in the area of Queenscliff.
- Volunteers are in the water in Water Exercise Classes to assist if needed.
- Many people volunteer as drivers of cars in our Volunteer Driver Service, and of mini buses and bigger buses with groups.
- Most of our 5 health services have Advisory Groups and Ladies Auxiliaries or Friends of the Health Service.
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| Individual staff have their own volunteers who support them in such things as setting up for groups, office work and filing, thus freeing staff to make greater use of their health expertise where it will have benefit. Volunteers with computer skills help staff with new techniques. Most groups that run have volunteers supporting them - Cardiac Rehab, Weight Resistance, Parkinson's Support Group, Carers Groups - for example.
Volunteers help with the running of the Adult Day Activities at some centres on most days. Often a volunteer will bring special talents and work for a short time on it there. Recently a computer expert spent a day a week for a year with her lap top in ADA sending emails and pictures for elder clients to relatives overseas.
Many volunteers come with special gifts such as Palliative Care Volunteers. This is a very specialised area and not for everyone. Volunteers offer to work in our dementia Hostel, Sims Lodge, part of Ann Nichol House in Portarlington.
The esteem that volunteers are held in is reflected in the Christmas Concert that staff put on. About 50 staff each December put on a hilarious concert with much enthusiasm and voluntary effort on their part. Routines are learnt and 'plays' put on - all to show how much we value what volunteers contribute. CEOs, managers, cleaners and doctors - staff from all departments get involved. Volunteers help make BCH what it is, providing "Quality Care for a Valued Community".
New volunteers always welcome.
Contact Elizabeth Hopkin,
Volunteer Coordinator,
Ph: 5258 0853
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