3 August 2017
NHS Borders held an Investing in Volunteers Celebration Event on Thursday 27 July 2017 in the Chaplaincy Centre at the Borders General Hospital. The event was to thank our volunteers and staff who worked to achieve the Investing in Volunteers Award accreditation for another three years, and to celebrate this success.
Revalidation of this Award is a rigorous process and volunteers themselves played a pivotal part through demonstrating our shared values. Volunteers' continued support of patients and their families has been invaluable.
The event showcased a number of inspiring personal stories from volunteers Emma Herdman, Meg Hewat, Matt Deeming and Margaret Simpson as well as volunteer leads Gordon Elliot, Jude Tait-Brown and Julie Campbell. The audience of almost 50 individuals heard about a number of volunteer roles within a number of different areas like the Healthy Living Network and Borders General Hospital's Dialysis Unit and Margaret Kerr Unit.
John Raine, Chairman of NHS Borders said: "We greatly appreciate all that our volunteers do across NHS Borders. They provide that extra time for conversations with patients and families, to take the 'temperature' of patient opinion and keep the Board informed. They also provide supportive services like music and art to alleviate anxiety and stress and a whole host of activities in communities.
"We now have 247 people volunteering with us or going through the process. There has been a remarkable growth in volunteer numbers in the past couple of years. Volunteering is two-way and many of the volunteers at the event spoke of the benefits to themselves as individuals being able to contribute to the wellbeing of Borders people."
Meg Hewat, Patient Feedback Volunteer, said: "The 'Investing in Volunteers' celebration was the culmination, and to show appreciation, for all the work done by BGH Staff and Volunteers in attaining this award for the third time.
"As a Patient Feedback Volunteer I find that my role is rewarding, fulfilling, at times humbling but certainly never dull. I am always made aware that the staff of Clinical Governance & Quality value my contribution which, to me, is truly uplifting."
We currently have 36 different volunteer roles across various settings. Further information about volunteering with NHS Borders can be found online at /get-involved/volunteering-homepage/. Alternatively, Joanne Forrest, Volunteer Co-ordinator, can be contacted by emailing joanne.forrest@borders.scot.nhs.uk