Bass Coast Health (BCH) paid tribute to the 134 active Volunteers who help the public health service to deliver care to the community, at the annual Volunteer Celebration during National Volunteer Week.
They were acknowledged for their contribution across the health service at Wonthaggi, San Remo and Cowes. BCH also presented awards to long-serving Volunteers.
Volunteers help BCH through its Concierge Service, Transport Driving, Residential Care Visiting, Gardening, our Community Advisory Committee, Wayfinding, Administration, Ward Visiting and Auxiliaries.
BCH’s Interim Chief Executive Officer Simone Alexander said when most people think of a health service, they tend to think of doctors and nurses caring for the sick and injured in beds in hospital wards.
“Yet behind the scenes, there is another group of people working hard to help people in their time of need or raising funds for medical equipment that helps us to care for our community,” she said.
“We’re so grateful for the dedication our Volunteers show, the empathy they display, and the time and effort they contribute so that others may benefit.”
BCH presented service awards to these longstanding Volunteers:
• Five years: Graeme Bright, Toni Cornelius, Alison Dixon, Amanda Drennan, Joan Gaunt, Terry Hall, Ross Kelly, Alan Pittard, David Scrase and Grant Wadeson
• 10 years: Marie Mills – Griffiths Point Lodge, Songs of Praise
• 20 years: Barbara Culph – BCH Ladies Auxiliary
• 25 years: Candy Pile – Armitage House.
Achievements of the Volunteer team during the 2024-25 financial year included:
• 35 Volunteer Drivers providing an average of 130 drives a month
• regular transport being provided for patients receiving dialysis and chemotherapy
• Volunteer Gardeners giving 468 hours of service to maintaining gardens at Wonthaggi Hospital and Griffiths Point Lodge residential aged care at San Remo
• Concierge Volunteers providing 312 hours of welcoming consumers and directing them where to go
• Volunteer Wayfinders helping consumers to find their way around the hospital over 1248 hours, and also helping teams to collate files. Wayfinders can walk up to five kilometres a shift
• Administration Volunteers giving 640 hours of their time to help compile patient packs and volunteer packs, filing, printing, laminating and helping the volunteer team
• Theatre Volunteers serving for 780 hours, supporting patients and their loved ones after procedures. On average they give out up to 30 cups of tea and sandwiches per shift, wipe down more than 30 chairs and change 30 beds
• Armitage House Volunteers supported consumers and helped staff with diversional therapy such as colouring, painting and puzzles, over 250 hours
• Griffiths Point Lodge Volunteers, over 1,144 hours, visited residents at least once a week, helping with diversional therapy and listening to residents. Volunteers also ran the singing sessions, Songs of Praise
• Kirrak House Volunteers have contributed more than 400 hours for the year, helping with diversional therapy and engaging with residents
• Community Group Volunteers have provided more than 400 hours, collecting consumers from their homes and bringing them to BCH to engage with others and to participate in activities. This program also runs offsite at places such as cafes, lunches and trips to the library.
BCH’s Auxiliaries have raised a tremendous amount of funds. Their activities included:
• Inverloch Fundraising Auxiliary: giving $4950 for a hospital bed in the L. Rigby Cancer Centre, helping at the BCH Footy Day celebration and now fundraising for iPads, a cuddle bed and a fold-out couch
• Phillip Island Health Hub Auxiliary: held the Woolamai Race Day, trivia nights, barbecues and markets, donated funds to supply a trolley and diagnostic machine for Midwifery, and now fundraising for the upgrade of two anaesthetic machines for the Phillip Island Community Hospital
• Inverloch Art Show Auxiliary: held a record-breaking art show over Easter that made a $10,000 profit to buy food boxes for community members in need
• BCH Ladies Auxiliary: funded plants for the garden at Armitage House, and a resuscitation cot and battery pack. They held a fete, Christmas in July stall, stalls at the hospital and raffles. In 2025 they are fundraising to buy six syringe pumps for Armitage House
• San Remo Op Shop Auxiliary: have donated $1 million over the shop’s operation, and are now fundraising for 20 hospital beds and two Cardiotocography machines for monitoring fetal heart rates and uterine contractions in Maternity.
In other volunteer roles, BCH’s Community Advisory Committee provides community insight into Board decisions, helps to design community engagement and more.
BCH’s Consumer Associates Hilary Kerrison and Terry Shannon sit on various committees and panels, support strategic planning and service development and lead site tours.
To express your interest in becoming a volunteer, phone 0439 367 129 or 5671 3372 or email volunteer.coordinator@basscoasthealth.org.au More information is available at basscoasthealth.org.au/volunteer