MANAGER’S NOTE

Welcome to the new look volunteer newsletter. I plan to have a newsletter to you

bi-monthly to keep you updated on all the news.

The last couple of months have been extremely busy but very rewarding.

On 9 May 2018 the volunteer Guide Team celebrated their second birthday! I was

happy to report to executive that in 2 years the Guide Team have assisted 73,

170 consumers!

In April and May the Volunteer Unit hosted the WCHN’s first artist- in-residence,

Fran Callen to develop an exhibition, A Helping Hand, to celebrate National

Volunteer Week and the important contribution volunteers make to our

organisation.

National Volunteer Week (21-27 May) saw us celebrate in style with 3 different

events which are covered later in the newsletter.

June has been a busy month too with staff welcoming, training and placing new

volunteers across the network.

I took some leave in early June to volunteer again in Fiji. It was my third trip to

volunteer on a building project there and although the weather provided extra

challenges this time it was a very fulfilling experience.

At the end of June I attended the Volunteering Australia conference in Sydney. It

was great to broaden my networks and speak to colleagues from all over

Australia and New Zealand about their work with volunteers. I attended some very

valuable sessions which I intend will benefit my work and the volunteer program

at the WCHN.

There is always something new to celebrate but the constant is always the

wonderful contribution and the welcome difference that you, our volunteers, make

to the lives of the women, babies and children that access the services of our

network.

As always, thank you for all you do.

Lis Brittan

Manager, WCHN Volunteers

July 2018

WCHN Volunteer and Consumer Orientation 9 am, Monday 30 July 2018

WCHN Volunteers Service Awards 2017 2.00 pm, Friday 31st August 2018 Presentation of awards Guest Speaker Afternoon tea to follow

Person and Family Centred Care Week 17 September - 21 September 2018

WCHN Volunteers Christmas Luncheon 12.00 noon for 12.30 pm, Friday 7 December

2018

‘’Treat everyone you meet as if

they were you.” Doug Dillon

The following volunteers have commenced with the WCHN Volunteers since January 2018.

We give you a warm welcome and thank you for your commitment to volunteering with the

WCHN.

Viki Alexandridis

Anita Chaplin

Sabrina Chin

Tori Delany

Bernadette Egan

Sophie Gartery

Storm Graham

Sam Hatibovich

Courtney Hicks

Linlin Huang

Alison Keast

Ciara Keller

Yolanda Klein

Anne Krishnan

Rabia Laiq

Mona Lam

Dimity Leonard

Alison Leviton

Karen Lowrey

Hayley Macpherson

Kristy Marshall

Aimee Mastrangelo

Kay Mentha

Angelika Mousis

Janet Murphy

Sujatha Nagarajan

Jo Osborne

Jane Oswald

Gabriella Owens

James Pak

Play Therapy

Play Therapy

Play Therapy

Heritage & History Group

Guide Team

Play Therapy

Heritage & History Group

Play Therapy

Theatres

Administration

My Time

Guide Team

Play Therapy

Helen Mayo House

Administration

Spiritual Care

My Time

Survey Volunteer

Family Support

Guide Team

Heritage and History Group

My Time

Family Support

Play Therapy

Guide Team

Administration

Helen Mayo House

Play Therapy

Play Therapy

Guide Team

Sonia Patel

Debbie Piro

Eileen Pridham

Katelyn Reynolds

Margaret Russell

Fatema Sitabkhan

Menaka Thangaraj

Myat Myat Thein

Fanoula Thomalaris

Joshua Timms

Sophie Vassilopoulos

Cal Watt

Carri Welsby

Belinda Willson

Eulalia Wojtkowski

Meekah Zangari

Administration

Administration

Administration

My Time

Play Therapy

Play Therapy

Administration

Research Administration

Play Therapy

Play Therapy

Guide Team

Play Therapy

Administration

Play Therapy

Administration

Guide Team

Gabriella and Shayley, play therapy volunteers in Paediatric Outpatients Department, joined in the Mother’s Day fun! Quote of the month from Gabi and Shayley: “We feel guilty ‘cos I think we have more fun than the kids!”

National Volunteer Week Wrap Up

In April and May the Volunteer Unit hosted the WCHN’s first artist- in-residence, Fran Callen to develop an

exhibition, A Helping Hand, to celebrate National volunteer Week and the important contribution volunteers make

to our organisation. Fran is an Adelaide artist whose energetic works capture people, moments and human

behaviour. Fran works in pencil, oils and watercolours, even using spilt tea and coffee to add interest. She also

developed a collaborative work with volunteers in the Volunteer Haven. The exhibition hung in the Orange Heart

Gallery for the month of May. Fran has very kindly donated the works to the Volunteer Haven and we will organise

for them to be hung soon.

On Monday 21 May National Volunteer Week (NVW) commenced and we celebrated by participating in the

National Volunteer Week Parade for the first time. The parade is organised by Volunteering SA & NT, our peak

volunteering body in South Australia. It is the only volunteer march in the southern hemisphere that literally stops

traffic as participants march along King William Street to Victoria Square/. Tarntanyangga. Thank you to those

who marched this year. It was a small start that we hope to build on next year.

On Wednesday 23 May staff from the WCHN Centre for Education held a fun- filled self-care workshop called ‘Fill

Up Your Cup’ for our volunteers with 25 attending. Volunteers involved themselves in group activities and

discussions including, stress awareness, positive psychology models, mindfulness and gratitude. Much fun was

had making worry dolls, doing word puzzles and blowing bubbles. The morning finished with everyone gathering

for a special lunch.

On Friday 25 May we closed NVW with a morning tea that for the first time included all organisations that involve

volunteers in WCHN. These included Heartfelt (Photographers), Starlight Foundation, The Friends of WCH Inc,

The WCH Foundation, Delta Dogs and Miracle Babies Foundation. This gathering realised an action from the

WCHN Volunteer Strategy 2017-2027. Many enjoyed finding out about how other organisations contribute to the

life of the network and the amazing work they do.

It was a fabulous week and I trust all volunteers felt well and truly celebrated!

Making history in theatres

Mignon Bowen is a long-standing volunteer who gives her time every Thursday in the holding bay of the Rogerson

Theatres. Mignon has been volunteering here for 20 years after a successful career nursing at the Women’s and

Children’s Hospital.

Last week she made history along with her granddaughter, Rosie Jervis, and great-grandson, Thomas Jervis when

Thomas had surgery in the same theatre as Mignon was volunteering. Anaesthetist Rob Lang commented that this

was a first.

Thank you to Dr Rebecca Cooksey and staff in theatres for looking after Thomas and a

big thank you to all our wonderful theatre volunteers, especially Mignon!

(Mignon, Rosie and Thomas all ready for theatre.)

News

Because of her, we can. In celebration of NAIDOC Week 2018, the WCHN History and Heritage group has a mini display at the Samuel Way Building entrance. Curated by volunteer Kerry Nancarrow, the display recognises two Aboriginal women, a mother and daughter, who made significant contributions to patient care in the history of the WCHN. It tells the story of Nukuna-Umeewarra woman Evelyn Beales coming to train in nursing at the former Adelaide Children’s Hospital (ACH) in 1934, and how her determination to work in this field provided a strong example to her two daughters, opening a pathway for both of them. Younger daughter Rosie followed more directly in her mother’s footsteps. Almost 30 years after Evelyn, she trained at the ACH too. Acknowledging Evelyn as one of South Australia’s first Aboriginal nurses – a trailblazer – the display addresses this year’s NAIDOC theme: Because of her, we can. It will be on view from 3 July until September.

Throughout NAIDOC week until the end of July, the inaugural exhibition of the Yellow Heart Gallery (Level 1, Zone F), dedicated to all matters History and Heritage in the WCHN, is also on display. Forgotten Murals of the Adelaide Children’s Hospital investigates two sets of murals once painted at the former ACH as early examples of arts in health, in relation to Aboriginal recognition at the Hospital, in art and broader society.

Aboriginal people are warned that some photos in both displays contain images of deceased persons.

The Arts in Health program is an initiative of the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation run in partnership with the Women’s and Children’s Health Network. Arts in Health coordinates a changing exhibition program across five galleries located in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. The gallery and exhibition program aims to integrate visual arts into the life of the Hospital to improve people’s health and wellbeing. The galleries provide a space away from the stresses of treatment to distract, entertain and inspire, improving the hospital environment. Blue Heart Gallery: (Formerly Gallery A) Ground Floor Zone A -near Allied Health entrance and Hospital School. Green Heart Gallery: (Formerly Gallery B) Level 2 Zone D near Hospital Café. Pink Heart Gallery: (Formerly Gallery B+) Level 2 Zone D near Hospital Café – on the way to Women’s area. Orange Heart Gallery: (Formerly Gallery C) Level 1 Zone E – Samuel Way walkway – on the way to the Volunteer’s Office.

Yellow Heart Gallery: Level 1 Zone F — just past the Queen Victoria Lecture Theatre.

Blue Heart Gallery: Endless Horizons, curated by Sonya Unwin

Endless Horizons features the work of six dynamic artists who explore an emotional attachment to place through

their work. Christine Beardsley, Jax Isaacson, Sue Michael, Wendy Muir, Suzie Riley and Jane Skeer all take a

different approach to understanding the significance of the landscape in their lives. The places they represent in

this exhibition extend across the rich agricultural lands of The Riverland in regional South Australia to the ethereal

shifting ice of The Antarctic. The artists’ interpretations of the landscapes are as diverse as the landscapes

themselves, and span painting, textiles, mixed media, resin, pastels and photography, yet the practice of all six

artists converge with an ethos of sustainability and an attitude of exploration. This exhibition was curated by Sonya

Unwin as part of the Arts in Health Gallery Mentorship Project in partnership with the Helpmann Academy.

Green Heart Gallery: Because of Her, We Can! by Ara Palka (Colleen Strangways)

Because of Her, We can! is a NAIDOC Week exhibition by Ara Palka (Colleen Strangways) featuring photographic

portraits of Aboriginal women and their families. Titled with the official NAIDOC Week theme, Because of Her, We

can!, the exhibition celebrates the role of Aboriginal Women in caring for families, communities and culture. A

strong Arabunna woman herself, Ara Palka’s photographs show the women’s strength, and her work conveys the

ongoing importance of culture in pregnancy, birth and caring for children.

Pink Heart Gallery: Good Vibes Only, by Kristin Stone

Good Vibes Only is an exhibition of quotes beautifully illustrated by Kristin Stone. The exhibition aims to uplift the

viewer and introduce a little extra hope and joy into the everyday. Kristin has worked as a Graphic Designer in

Digital Media Department of the Women’s and Children’s Health Network for the past six years. Good Vibes Only aims to engage people who frequent the hospital; workers, volunteers, patients and their families – the people who

need a bit of extra hope and joy in their day. Good Vibes Only will be on display from the 28th of May to the 1st of

August 2018.

Orange Heart Gallery: Back to my Childhood by Salvador Loreto

Back to my Childhood is a cheerful exhibition of paintings by Salvador Loreto. Salvador painted this series of boats

with children (and adults who never grew up) in mind. Salvador hopes that his paintings will bring joy to all who see

them, and entertain children and their families in the Hospital: “This exhibition is my way of contributing to the

wellbeing of children at a time when they are sick and vulnerable.” Back to my Childhood will be on display from

the 28th of May to the 23rd of July 2018.

Yellow Heart Gallery: Forgotten Murals of the Adelaide Children’s Hospital, curated by Emily Collins for the WCHN History and Heritage Group

Forgotten Murals of the Adelaide Children’s Hospital remembers two sets of significant murals that once animated

the walls at the old Adelaide Children’s Hospital (ACH) to improve the hospital experience for children: the

‘Australiana’ murals completed in 1945; and a landscape mural painted on the Susanne Ward in 1978. Forgotten

Murals of the Adelaide Children’s Hospital is the inaugural exhibition in the Yellow Heart Gallery which will

showcase the WCHN History and Heritage Collection and explore the significant people and events that shaped

the Hospital today. The exhibition was curated by Emily Collins and is part of South Australia’s History Festival

2018.

National Volunteer Week 2018

WCHN Volunteers in action…

Work by artist, Fran Callen, captured the Guide Team at work.

National Volunteer Week Parade 2018 starting at Torrens Parade Ground.

Heartfelt Photography volunteers at the joint volunteer celebration.

Representatives from volunteer involving organisations join to cut the celebration cake.

The Friends of WCH Inc President, Pauline Linke, joins Kyri, Shannon and Tim to celebrate National Volunteer Week.

Volunteers at the self-care workshop make worry dolls.

Farewell Paulina

WCHN staff member, Deborah Rossi from Multiple

Births, joined us to farewell administration volunteer

Paulina Skrzypek . Paulina is heading back to

Poland with her husband.

Deborah showed Paulina her gratitude for all her

hard work by staying up until 2 am to finish this

handmade, quilted and patch worked wall hanging

for Paulina to remember her by.

Paulina made a wonderful contribution to Multiple

Births and even left detailed handover notes for the

next volunteer! Now that’s the spirit!

Vale Gill

As WCHN celebrated our

volunteers during National

Volunteer Week, we were also

reminded of those volunteers

no longer with us.

On New Year’s Day 2018, we

lost a special volunteer when

Gill Williams (pictured) died after a short illness.

Gill volunteered for more than five years with

Midwifery Group Practice (MGP). Midwifery Unit

Manager Jackie Kitschke described Gill as great

volunteer, who assisted the unit in managing the

paperwork and pamphlets, making up information

packs and being a “kind, funny and entertaining”

presence.

“We still miss her,” Jackie said.

Gill was also an active member of the Volunteer

Advisory Group and last year sat on the Project

Advisory Group for the development of the WCHN

Volunteer Strategy 2017-2027.

Gill’s bright, intelligent and inclusive approach to all

her work was very much appreciated.

For more information

Lis Brittan Manager WCHN Volunteers Tel: 8161 8475 lis.brittan@sa.gov.au Shannon Peake Coordinator WCHN Volunteers Tel: 8161 6437 shannon.peake3@sa.gov.au

Linda Dyett Administration Officer WCHN Volunteers Tel: 8161 7471 linda.dyett@sa.gov.au Women’s and Children’s Health Network 72 King William Road, North Adelaide SA 5006

www.wch.sa.gov.au

© Department for Health and Ageing, Government of South Australia. All rights reserved.

“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.”