Volunteers from the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (WSFT) attended a special event to celebrate their dedication and amazing contribution over the past year. 17 volunteers received long service awards, and across the Trust, 311 active volunteers have donated an incredible 42,644 hours of their time.
The annual celebration took place on Monday, 8 June at the Southgate Community Centre in Bury St Edmunds and provides an opportunity for the WSFT to thank volunteers for the wide range of support they provide.
One fantastic volunteer is Carolyn Blackman, who lives in Bury St Edmunds. Carolyn collected an award for 25 years of volunteer service. Carolyn, who turns 80 years old this year, began volunteering alongside her husband in the West Suffolk Hospital chapel. He completed 25 years of voluntary service before retiring in 2025. She said: “I started volunteering in the chaplaincy while I was working at the Trust, first as a housekeeper, and then I worked in pharmacy. One day, the hospital chaplain asked what I was doing at the weekend, and if I would be interested in volunteering. I said I had my husband Derek at home, and the chaplain told me to bring him along, and I have been volunteering ever since.”
After retiring from her role in pharmacy, Carolyn began volunteering in the Friends of West Suffolk Hospital shop, which she has been doing for 14 years. Carolyn said: “My favourite thing about my role is meeting all the people. I love seeing people come into the shop to buy teddies, cardigans and blankets for newborn babies – they are always so excited to tell you about it. At the other end of the scale, you have people coming in who have received hard news, and if someone is having a bad day, I am there to listen.”
After 36 years working at the Trust, and 25 years of volunteering, you would think Carolyn would be ready for a change, but she said: “My husband says if you cut me open, you would see West Suffolk Hospital right through me!”
The Trust’s volunteer services lead Lee Ranson said: “Volunteers can be found across a wide range of areas in our hospital and community settings, and they really are the soul of these places. They support us to provide high quality care and deliver a great patient experience.
“All of our 311 volunteers, who deliver one of 58 volunteer roles, make a huge difference. In the last year, more than 7,000 patients have been transported by our patient flow volunteers, over 900,000 queries have been answered by the information desk volunteers, 11,939 hours of volunteer support have been given to the wards, and 223 visits from Pets as Therapy dogs have taken place. This is to name just a few of the amazing contributions our volunteers make.”
Bleep volunteers Lawrence Nicholls, Trish Jackson, and Trevor Webber all received awards for 10 years of service. They collect medications and deliver them across the West Suffolk Hospital site. At the event they discussed their favourite parts of their roles.
Lawrence said: “I like everything about the role, it’s good for me mentally and physically, and I enjoy being a part of the community.”
Trish added: “The role is a lot of moving and walking, which is good for us. I also find it interesting to see what’s happening around the hospital.”
Trevor said: “We deliver to all of the wards around the hospital, so we get to see everywhere. What else would we be doing, just sitting at home? This is better.”
Kathleen Fisher, an endoscopy volunteer who received an award for 10 years of service, started volunteering after she retired from working in the appointments team at the Trust for 25 years. She worked nearby the volunteer services office and knew a lot of the people who volunteered, and felt inspired to give it a try. Kathleen said: “I gave myself a three month break after retirement and then came straight back to join as a volunteer. I enjoy working with the nurses and speaking to the patients. They tell you all sorts of things, and it’s nice to be there for them when they’re worried about the procedure.
“If anyone is thinking of volunteering, you should go for it, there are so many different areas to volunteer in, and if you have time to spare, there will be a role that interests you.”
Lee Ranson continued: “It’s an honour and a privilege to lead such an amazing team of people. I want to say thank you to all our volunteers for the things they do. From listening to patients in their darkest times and giving moral support to hospital staff and its teams, to things like making beds and taking bloods and medicines to the right places to speed up the process for our patients – the commitment and expertise each volunteer brings is a gift.”
Ewen Cameron, chief executive officer at WSFT, shared his gratitude to the volunteers in an address at the event on behalf of the whole Trust: “This is the fourth volunteer celebration event I have attended since I joined the Trust, and it is a huge honour to come along and meet the people who have donated their time to support our colleagues and patients.
“You make an enormous impact, and I want to personally say a big thank you for everything you do. Colleagues tell me how grateful they are for your support, and it truly does make a difference.”
At the event, volunteers enjoyed cakes and sweet treats sponsored by the Trust’s My WiSH charity and were able to catch up with one another in the space kindly provided free of charge by the Southgate Community Centre to celebrate the value of volunteering.
