Dedicated volunteers making a difference in health and care across East Sussex

The word volunteer is spelt out with different coloured balloonsDid you know there are thousands of volunteers who give their time for free to improve people’s experience of local health and care services?

In June organisations across East Sussex said a big thank you to these dedicated individuals, and all the hardworking volunteers in the county, as part of Volunteers Week and Patient Participation Week. These campaigns raise the profile of our volunteers, and aim to inspire others to get involved in a broad range of volunteering opportunities.

Volunteers come from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds and volunteer for many reasons. We spoke to members of local Patient Participation Groups (PPGs), who work with their local GP practices to help improve services, to find out why they volunteer:

Lynne from Beaconsfield Road Surgery in Hastings said:

Volunteering with the PPG, as well as my local hospice, has given me invaluable knowledge about my GP practice and the wider system which makes me feel more in control of my own health and wellbeing. I also enjoy being able to pass information on to other patients and support our doctors to implement new initiatives. They say you should never stop learning and in this role I never will – I find it really exciting!”

Kevin from Sedlescombe and Westfield Surgeries said:

“Being a patient representative means being part of one of the most important resources in your community and making a commitment to ensure your practice is offering the best service it can – that brings huge satisfaction. Being a part of that matters.”

There are many roles within our hospitals, GP practices and community services which couldn’t be performed without the involvement of volunteers. From demonstrating exercises in the cardiac rehabilitation clinic or managing the patient library service, to being a breast feeding peer supporter or a short-break carer for a child with disabilities, there’s a volunteering role for everyone!

If you’d like to find out more about volunteering with the NHS or East Sussex County Council, click on the links to find out more about current volunteering opportunities:

There are also many other ways you can volunteer and make a difference in your community, for more information visit: