Trust volunteers celebrated for 630 years of combined dedication at Long Service Awards ceremony
Volunteers who give their time to University Hospitals Derby and Burton (UHDB) have been celebrated for their long service and commitment to supporting our communities.
Volunteers across the Trust received awards for 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 years' contribution to UHDB at a ceremony held at Royal Derby Hospital (RDH) at the beginning of May.
UHDB Chief Executive, Stephen Posey and Director of Estates and Facilities, Andrew Selby presented the awards and thanked volunteers for their commitment and dedication in serving the Trust and members of the community. Stephen said: "It is a privilege to be part of this special event and on behalf of the Board, I want to thank our 450 volunteers across our hospitals. We are honoured that members of our communities in Derbyshire and Staffordshire have chosen to dedicate their time at UHDB and we are grateful for the positive impact they have on our visitors, patients and colleagues."
Angela Harding and Lisa Wainwright both received awards for 10 years of volunteering service within the Baby Unit at RDH, a service which began following their children being admitted to the unit when they were born. Angela said: "We started volunteering as we wanted to give something back to the team who had helped us. We never imagined we would still be doing it ten years later. You get a lot of joy from it."
Lisa added: "We both work full-time as well as being mum's so it's great that the volunteer programme is very flexible - you can make it work around your own schedule and life, there's no pressure."
The Trust currently has 138 students taking part in their student volunteer programme and Lola Watson is one such student undertaking a six-month placement at RDH as a meal-time volunteer. She explained: "I do things such as making hot drinks, ensuring everyone has their correct meals at dinner time, making beds and general tidying of rooms. I also deliver samples to the blood department and pick up medication from the pharmacy."
Lola, who is studying at De Ferrers College in Burton, hopes this placement will help her with university applications. She explained: "I've been able to speak with people from all different professions as well as interacting with patients and staff and gaining experience of what life is like working on a ward in a hospital. I come into the hospital from 4pm-6pm which means I'm able to take this on alongside my studies."
Alison and Carl Campbell joined the celebrations to mark their five years of service and Carl explained why he chose to become a volunteer: "I had a motorbike accident a few years ago where I broke my leg and the doctors here at Royal Derby Hospital fixed it. It was just my way of 'paying' the NHS back and thanking them for helping me."
Alison spoke about the different areas they've worked on through being a volunteer and what she takes from it. She said: "We started in the A&E and then moved up to the maternity shop. We get to meet a lot of different people who work here as their rotas change quite often and this is a really nice part of the role that we enjoy."
Carolyn Baldwin has been a Trust volunteer for 20 years and is the longest serving buggy driver having started the position in the old city hospital (Derbyshire Royal Infirmary). She said: "The buggy driver is one of the most sought-after volunteer roles and often there is a reserve list for it. I'm a retired nurse so I knew I wanted to do something different to what I'd done throughout my career and I love how flexible the roles are."
Funded by Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity, Jill Matthews, Chief Officer for the Charity, said: "We are extremely proud and grateful that through donations and fundraising from our supporters, we can fund the long service awards for our volunteers who generously give up their time to support patients, visitors and colleagues in our hospitals. The long service awards provide one of the many opportunities where we can show our thanks, acknowledge our volunteers' dedication, and show our appreciation for the huge contribution they make.
"Some of the services that our volunteers provide include, driving patient buggies to help patients and visitors with limited mobility, offering a wayfinding service to those moving around our hospitals and offering patients, being cared for on our wards, a friendly smile and chat which brightens their day. Without our volunteers, it wouldn’t be possible to offer these services so being able to support and present these awards is a huge privilege."
Become a volunteer at UHDB
Volunteers play a vital and varied role in the delivery of exceptional care across UHDB, helping us to provide a better experience for anyone who might find themselves in our hospitals - whether that's welcoming and directing people to the correct departments and wards, providing our patients with beverages and nutrition on the wards or socialising with patients if they require company.
Volunteers are invaluable to our Trust, and we welcome anyone > who wants to join and support within the following hospitals:
- Royal Derby Hospital
- Florence Nightingale Community Hospital
- Queen's Hospital Burton
- Samuel Johnson Community Hospital
- Sir Robert Peel Hospital