How Swansea Bay's "hidden" volunteers are helping to improve services
Visit any of Swansea Bay’s hospitals and it’s likely you will spot one of our many dedicated volunteers – but not all of them are as visible.
As well as those who interact with patients and visitors, there are others who give their time to help in a different but equally important way.
This week, national Volunteers’ Week, we are highlighting some of the great work being done by people who donate their time to help others.
(Main image above shows Catherine Coombs and Neil Williams)
In Swansea Bay, volunteers undertake a variety of roles, from meeting and greeting on the front desks to running tea bars, and from providing transport to supporting the chaplaincy service.
They do not replace paid staff but provide an invaluable service in improving the experience of patients and their families.
With their uniforms and ID badges they are immediately identifiable. But there are others making less obvious yet just as vital contributions.
So, meet Catherine Coombs and Neil Williams, who both sit on Swansea Bay’s Stakeholder Reference Group.
The Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG) was set up to scrutinise the work of the health board.
Its membership includes a broad range of perspectives to make sure the health board puts patients, carers and families at the centre of all it does.
It looks at important areas and has a role to play in the setting of the strategic direction of the organisation, service change as well as feedback on the impact of the health board on local communities.
The SRG provides regular reports and updates to the health board and its Chair sits on the health board too, so it really is an important group.
Catherine, from Gower explained: “I’ve been involved for 15-20 years, I was on the Swansea 50-Plus Network Forum and was originally the representative from there.
“I’ve always had an interest in health. In fact, I originally worked in health back in the 70s, in pathology at the old Neath General Hospital.
“Because I belong to various local groups, being on the SRG means I can feed back and keep people informed of what is happening on the health board. I get a lot out of it and really enjoy it.”
Neil, who lives in the Neath Valley and is a member of Swansea People First, shares a learning disabilities perspective with the SRG.
“It’s great,” he said. “It gives me the confidence to go into a meeting and talk to people, getting to know different things about what the hospitals do and how everything works.
“I love it. I’ll carry on until they decide to get rid of me!”
Joanne Abbott-Davies, Swansea Bay’s Assistant Director of Insight, Engagement and Fundraising, said it was important to recognise volunteers like Catherine and Neil, who worked with Swansea Bay to share their views and help it develop and shape services.
“They share the experiences of the groups they represent through the Stakeholder Reference Group and other groups including the Accessibility Reference Group which helps improve services for us all,” she said.
“They contribute their time and experience to help us without remuneration for all our benefits and we really appreciate this.”
Follow this link to find out more about volunteering with Swansea Bay.
Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth a galwadau ffôn yn y Gymraeg neu'r Saesneg. Atebir gohebiaeth Gymraeg yn y Gymraeg, ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at oedi. Mae’r dudalen hon ar gael yn Gymraeg drwy bwyso’r botwm ar y dde ar frig y dudalen.
We welcome correspondence and telephone calls in Welsh or English. Welsh language correspondence will be replied to in Welsh, and this will not lead to a delay. This page is available in Welsh by clicking ‘Cymraeg’ at the top right of this page.