On Friday our team of nearly 100 volunteers gathered together to celebrate their annual Christmas Party and to acknowledge those presented with years of service awards.

It is no doubt that 2022 has been a challenging year for the hospital with COVID, lockdowns and the February Floods, but our volunteers have showed an unwavering commitment to the hospital despite such difficult circumstances.

Awards were given to volunteers who had reached a significant milestones of service including five, ten, fifteen, twenty-five, thirty and an amazing 45 years of service from Ms Bau Earle from the Wesley Auxiliary. Years of service combined amounted to over 300 years of loyal service to the hospital.

Bau joined the former St Helen’s Women’s Auxiliary in 1967 and has dedicated the past 45 years to volunteering at The Wesley Hospital.

Finally, Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Margaret Hennigan who has volunteered in the Dialysis Ward for the past eight years.

Margaret is a highly valued member of both the Volunteer Department and Dialysis Ward and in the past eight years at The Wesley Hospital, she has been twice nominated for the Full Circle and Reconciliation Awards.

As a volunteer in the Dialysis Ward, Margaret has firsthand experience of the challenges faced by dialysis patients and their families. Up until his passing, Margaret's husband, Brian, was a regular renal patient at The Wesley Hospital.

During this time, Margaret would accompany her husband, yet focus on the immediate needs of others in the department. This would extend to a friendly chat with patients or simply providing a shoulder to cry on.

Through her warm and approachable manner, Margaret's kindness to others is appreciated by all. She is always willing to support staff in whatever task is needed, no matter how small.

When ward staff describe Margaret, comments include, "she is a positive impact on the unit", "she is a delight" and "she really boosts the overall mood within the Dialysis team”.

Although Margaret would prefer to avoid recognition, we see her contribution through a broader lens and acknowledge her for the difference she has made in the lives of others.

Through her life experience, dignity, grace, and strong sense of service, Margaret epitomises all the qualities of a volunteer and she is a worthy recipient of Volunteer of the Year 2022.