News

Long serving volunteer finds fulfilment and purpose at JHC

May 16, 2023

Joondalup Health Campus’ longest serving volunteer, Gwen Walsham, has had more than her share of tragedy and misfortune over the years, but the comradery and support she has received from her fellow volunteers has helped her through.

Having lost her son in 1998 in very traumatic circumstances and then being subjected to an armed robbery at the bank where she worked, Gwen retired at the age of 60, but felt she was too young to completely stop work.

So she decided to sign up as a volunteer at her local hospital, Joondalup Health Campus.

Gwen says while she wanted to help by volunteering, volunteering helped her by providing a sense of purpose and fulfilment.

Over the years Gwen has worked in many different areas across JHC, including training and education, taking the book trolley around to different wards and visiting patients.

Currently Gwen is working in the antenatal clinic and for the ORIGINS project where she packs information bags for participants.

“The volunteers are a close group of friends and we support one another,” Gwen said. “Even during the pandemic when volunteers weren’t allowed in hospitals we still met externally each week for a coffee.”

Gwen said over the years she had watched JHC transform from a small country hospital “like the one in A Country Practice” into a large urban campus.

JHC Chief Executive, Dr Amanda Ling, thanked Gwen and all the JHC volunteers for their hard work.

“Our volunteers are part of the fabric that make up this hospital,” she said. “Many of them are long serving.”

JHC has recently recruited several student volunteers keen to contribute.

“We have several students who are volunteering and observing in areas where they are studying so they can build on what they are learning and they can better understand the hospital environment,” Dr Ling said.

This week is National Volunteer Week (15-21 May), Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteers.

If you would like to volunteer with Joondalup Health Campus, please call the switchboard on (08) 9400 9400.