NNUH Voluntary Services Manager shortlisted for national award
The Voluntary Services Manager at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been shortlisted for a national award.
Sally Dyson, who has grown the number of volunteers at the Trust from 65 to more than 700, has been shortlisted as Volunteer Manager of the Year at the Helpforce Champions Awards 2022
Helpforce partners with health and care organisations across the UK to accelerate the growth and impact of volunteering. The awards are a chance to shine a light on those who give their time to help staff in the NHS and voluntary and community organisations, and support patients and their families and carers.
Sally has been Voluntary Services Manager at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust since 2004. Volunteers provide 3,000 hours of help throughout the Trust a week and there are 45 different volunteering roles across seven sites.
Sally, who has a role in the National Association of Voluntary Services Managers (NAVSM) and Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR), said: “I am delighted to be shortlisted for this national award. It is an absolute pleasure to lead our volunteer service and to work with such an amazing team of coordinators and volunteers who make such a huge difference to the Trust.”
“By embedding volunteers into our clinical infrastructure right across the Trust, we are able to support our hard-working staff to focus on clinical priorities, help to improve quality and productivity, support strategic objectives and attract our future workforce. Volunteers are able to assist older people with hydration and nutrition, provide therapeutic and dementia activities, sit with patients at end of life, support their pathway through ED, drive patients home and settle them in on their day of discharge and provide welfare calls post discharge.
“Volunteering provides a wealth of benefits to the hospital and also to those who volunteer. This year we are looking to recruit 250 new volunteers as part of the 250th anniversary of the hospital. Our volunteers can look forward to fun and rewarding placements which provide companionship, social engagement, greater fitness and a general feeling of wellbeing.”
Mark Lever, Chief Executive of Helpforce, said: “2020 and 2021 have seen the NHS and all our healthcare services face one of the biggest challenges in their history, and we have seen volunteers step up in their thousands to help.
“This year, we have received a record number of entries for the Helpforce Champions Awards with so many brilliant examples of innovation, great practice, commitment, and real passion for patient care and support for staff across the health and care sector in the UK. We want to thank everyone for taking the time to recognise the volunteers and send our congratulations to those who have been shortlisted and we’d like to wish them the best of luck.”
Winners will be announced on Helpforce’s website and social media channels on 7 November.