Celebrating our incredible volunteers

At Royal Surrey Charity, our volunteers are the backbone of our work transforming care: dedicating their time and energy to support our patients and staff. As we celebrate Volunteers’ Week, we want to give a huge shout out to our 30 volunteers, who give up their time to help us do more – whether at events in our hospitals or out in the community, or by volunteering their talents, like our amazing knitters and bakers who donate their wonderful creations.

Two such remarkable volunteers are Mark and Sadie, whose stories of dedication and passion inspire us all.

In 2018, Mark joined Royal Surrey Charity as a volunteer, helping at two events in the community. Since then, he has continued as a volunteer: 

“It's all about giving back! Royal Surrey is an amazing hospital, and it is the hardworking and caring staff who make the real difference. They have always been so kind and reassuring to me and my family. I also want to support Royal Surrey Charity by raising money so that other people can receive the amazing care that I have.”

What Mark enjoys the most about volunteering is the fun and diverse experiences it offers. He has had the chance to connect with people from all walks of life, and he cherishes these moments, saying: “It’s always so lovely to be able to meet and chat with people and hear their positive stories and experiences of the Royal Surrey too!"

Sadie, on the other hand, started volunteering with Royal Surrey Charity in 2019, after the birth of her daughter, Sienna. For her, volunteering is a way to give back to the hospital and its staff who provided exceptional care during a challenging time. She recalls: “Sienna was born prematurely in 2019, weighing just 3 pounds, and needed to stay in the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at Royal Surrey. It was an incredibly scary time for us and all the doctors and nurses looked after us all so well.” Today, Sienna is a thriving and healthy five-year-old, and Sadie feels forever indebted to the Royal Surrey.

Sadie believes that supporting and volunteering with local NHS charities is crucial. She said:

“We have to remember that the NHS is a free healthcare service provided to everyone in this country, and I think that is truly amazing. It deserves all our help and support. The doctors, nurses, and everyone who works in the hospitals go above and beyond every day. I'll never be able to repay the NHS for all the amazing support and care it has given my family, but if I can do something as small as volunteering to give something back, then I always will.”

Mark (pictured left) during the Cathedral Abseil. Sadie (pictured right) during the 'The Big Spin for Tiny Babies' – an 8-hour charity spin fundraiser. 

Both Sadie and Mark are also amazing fundraisers. After her daughter’s birth, Sadie organised an 8-hour charity spin called ‘The Big Spin for Tiny Babies’ to raise funds to buy beds for our Special Care Baby Unit. She received tremendous support from people and local businesses and raised around £14,000! Mark has also been very active in taking up fundraising challenges. He has participated in the Cathedral Abseil, a 15,000ft skydive, and Stride for Cancer Care, raising over £1,100 last year.

Sandy Lowry, Community and Events Fundraising Manager at Royal Surrey Charity, talks about the impact of our volunteers. She says: “Our volunteers are truly inspiring: we simply couldn't do what we do without them. From running our tabletop sales in the hospital and charity stalls in the community to sharing their talents by baking delicious cakes for our cake sales or creating beautiful knitted and crocheted items for our patients on the wards or for us to sell, they dedicate their time to supporting our work in so many ways. We are so grateful to each and every one of them for everything they give.”

To acknowledge all the amazing volunteers across the Trust, we are proud to have funded gift hampers for a volunteers’ draw – thanks to your support. Its volunteers like these that enable us to support our patients and staff at Royal Surrey: thank you!

If you’d like to support your local NHS and thank our amazing healthcare heroes by becoming a volunteer for Royal Surrey Charity, visit our volunteer page. 

Become a volunteer