During National Volunteer Week, we are proud to celebrate the dedicated individuals who generously give their time to support the CALHN community. Their contributions are as diverse as they are meaningful, from offering comfort and companionship to patients on the road to recovery, to guiding visitors through the busy hospital corridors. They help preserve our history by cataloguing valuable health artefacts, and craft beautiful handmade garments and gifts that raise vital funds for essential medical equipment. Their impact is felt in every corner of our hospitals.
We are talking about Sue, Roger, Linda and Deirdre, four volunteers who sat down with our CALHN Comms Team in the lead up to National Volunteer Week to give us a glimpse into their stories and their volunteer experiences.
Sue at the Repat shared some incredible insights earlier this week with her lived experience of brain injury and how this is directly helps her support patients at the CALHN Repat Heath Precinct Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit. Read Sue’s story here >
For the past six years, Linda has quietly and devotedly helped safeguard South Australia’s health heritage, one carefully labelled file, one catalogued artifact, and one historical quote at a time. Volunteering twice a week at the Health Museum of South Australia based at CALHN’s Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre, Linda is a vital part of a small but passionate team preserving the legacy of our state’s medical institutions.
Linda with her ‘teammate’ George.
Linda’s work also played a pivotal role in one of the museum’s most challenging transitions: relocating from the old Royal Adelaide Hospital in 2018. With the building being decommissioned, Linda was part of the final group to help pack and preserve precious historical items before they were lost. “It was a logistical challenge,” says Team Leader Margot. “We couldn’t have done it without Linda.”
Seventeen years ago, Deirdre walked through the doors of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital as a volunteer and never left. Motivated by the exceptional care her mother received at the hospital, Deirdre decided it was time to give something back to her local community.
Deirdre is a volunteer at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Deirdre’s week is split between two key roles. On Tuesdays, she joins a lively sewing group where five dedicated women stitch aprons, bags, and other items to be sold in the hospital shop, fundraising that directly supports patient care and hospital needs.
“I just love it,” she says, simply. “This is a community hospital. I live locally, volunteering here makes me feel like I’m part of something that matters.”
Since the day the new Royal Adelaide Hospital opened its doors, Roger has been part of the team greeting patients with kindness, helping lost visitors find their way, and offering a calm, steady presence in what can often be a daunting environment.
“I’ve been volunteering for quite a while now,” Roger says with characteristic modesty. “You come in with your own little aches and pains, but those just seem to ebb away when volunteering at the RAH.”
Roger is a guide at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
“You get so much more than you give,” he says. “It’s hard to describe the feeling when someone truly needs help and you can be the one to provide it, even in a small way. That’s why we’re here.”
Roger is part of the dedicated network of volunteers who assist across all corners of the hospital, from guiding patients and visitors, to delivering donated books and clothing to inpatients, to managing practical errands for those who can’t leave their beds. There’s even a wig room, where specially trained volunteers help fit wigs for cancer patients. As Roger says, “We’re everywhere!”
This National Volunteer Week, we honour Sue, Linda, Deirdre, Roger and all of our volunteers, not just for the countless hours they have contributed, but for the way they make every person feel seen, heard, and safe.
Find out more about volunteering at CALHN sites >
Find out more about volunteering at TQEH >
Volunteering statistics
Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH)
• 235 volunteers
• 22,730 hours of support
• Volunteer guides provided 57,316 individuals supports
• 26,994 patient visits = average of 124 patient visits daily
• Intensive Care Unit volunteers assisted over 8,000 families
• 1,832 patient laundry requests
• 2,208 patients received clothing donations
• 200 Betty Cares clothing packs to women experiencing Medical Trauma
Spiritual Care volunteers
• 876 hours of support to patients
• Supported over 4,103 patients with 547 referred to the service
• Have performed over 1,416 rituals for patients
RAH Auxiliary volunteers
• Operating SARAHs Gift shop at the RAH
• Celebrating 100 years of service at the RAH
• Over this time, they have donated over $10 million to the RAH Research Fund and the Allied Health and Social Services
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
• 50 volunteers
• 500 hours of support
• 1,900 patient visits
• Donated over 385 books and magazines
• 1,000 patients received clothing donations
• Raised over $150,000 to donate back to TQEH
Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre (HRC)
• 53 volunteers
• 9,000 hours of support
• Escorted 200 patients
• Provided over 250 haircuts to patients
• HRC Kiosk volunteers have served over 11,300 patients, staff and visitors with all revenue donated to patient amenities
Health Museum volunteers (based at HRC)
• Support with a display about the Both Brothers at the Parliamentary Library
• Rearranged over 1,748 historical items (HRC and TQEH teams)
• Catalogued 171 objects
The Repat, Statewide Rehabilitation volunteers
• 27 volunteers
• 2,811 hours of support
• 1,544 patients supported with company, as well as quilts/blankets and handmade therapy tools, crafted by the newly created Sewing Team at the Repat
• 660 patients supplied with donated items
• Pet Therapy – 168 pet visits (collaboration with SALHN VollieCare).
Glenside Health Services volunteers
• 2 volunteers
• 200 hours of support to patients including:
o workouts in the Shared Activity Centre
o time with patients in the Inpatient Rehabilitation Services.
