Irenee on her role as a volunteer and trustee with Hospital Radio Norwich
“It does give a lot of confidence and communication skills”
Please can you tell us about your role?
There are two parts with regards to what I do. As a member of the management team and the trustee. I’m also the administrator for the organisation, which means I answer the correspondence, emails, and write papers for the organisation if necessary. Then, of course, there’s the other side of it, the physical side, being here at the studios, ready to go ward visiting.
I was a volunteer here with the voluntary service department and when the Hospital radio started up, they asked if I would like to join them. I said I’ll give it a go and I never looked back. In fact, I met my husband, down here. We’ve been together for forty-five years, and we both have the same interest regarding hospital radio.
There is a different team each night and some teams will help each other out so we all get to know each other, which is a good thing. They’re all very caring people indeed, and I’ve made some very nice, relationships there in the past and which are still going on.
Did you have any worries or anxieties before you started volunteering?
I did have to start with, especially visiting the patients and what I should say. But the secretary at the time was quite good, and she, explained a lot of it to me. In fact, I went off on my own and did it, quite early in joining the service. So, they obviously trusted me to do it and pick up lots of requests, which I did. As you evolve you get better and better at how you run things and so things are quite smooth now.
What do you do in a regular volunteering session?
With the Tuesday teams it’s just myself and Mike, and we both visit patients, on the different wards. I have a chat with them and stay for about forty minutes or so to get, seven requests. That obviously takes a little bit of time because I like to chat to them to be friendly, you know, sort of befriending. And then we both get back usually at the same time and then Mike will put the requests together and then he will present. Patients can also ring in or email us if they want a song there and then. They get chance to have that chat with someone who wants to know a little bit about them and has an interest in them, but they also get to hear the song that they love on a radio, and I guess it’s really nice for you to hear that feedback as well as a volunteer. You know, you’ve made a difference.
What have you gained through volunteering?
I certainly have learned a great deal by being part of the management team, being a trustee, having to present yourself, in the ways that we do. It’s given me a lot of confidence, actually. which I think it does for members, and for new volunteers. It does give a lot of confidence and communication skills. I think it makes you a better person that it makes you more caring. You can help that patient really by having a little chat with them and letting them know that you’re thinking of them.
If someone is interested in volunteering with Hospital Radio, what should they do?
Certainly come along and have a chat, see what it’s all about, and see whether or not they think they can actually, engage with patients because that’s what we really need. We’re a ward visiting service who just happens to broadcast.
To find out more about volunteering with Hospital Radio Norwich, please visit: https://www.hospitalradionorwich.co.uk/join-us
The Secretary, Hospital Radio Norwich, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UY
Tel: 01603-454585
Irenee was interviewed by Sarah Briggs, Voluntary Services Co-ordinator at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.