Volunteering

Welcome to NSW Health Volunteering.

NSW Health has a long successful history of encouraging a culture of engaging the community in volunteering. NSW Health greatly values the relationship fostered with volunteers who generously give their time, knowledge and life experiences to support our health services and make a real difference to the lives of patients, their families and staff across the NSW health system.

Being a volunteer benefits the community and individuals by facilitating interaction and increasing peoples' involvement in and awareness of local community issues, projects and services.

Many volunteers provide services through hospital auxiliaries that fundraise and support patient amenities. Area Health Services support volunteers through locally managed volunteer programs. Examples of existing volunteer activities include catering, gardening, retail, serving meals to patients, providing companionship and fund raising.

NSW Health assures the safety and welfare of its volunteers with appropriate training and placement in suitable volunteering activities available across the health services in accordance with NSW Health's workplace and occupational health and safety policies.

To find out more about volunteering opportunities near you, go to the NSW Department of Health website (www.health.nsw.gov.au/services/index.asp), to access the NSW Health Services Directory which will provide direct contact details for all public hospital and community health services in NSW. Find your local hospital and contact them about volunteering opportunities.

You can also contact the United Hospital Auxiliaries Inc (http://uhansw.org) by email hosp.aux@bigpond.net.au or telephone 02 9391 9716.

If you are specifically interested in helping children and young people in hospital then contact one of the three children's hospitals in NSW - John Hunter Childrens' Hospital in Newcastle, The Sydney Childrens' Hospital at Randwick (www.sch.edu.au) or the Childrens' Hospital at Westmead (www.chw.health.nsw.gov.au).