FUNDRAISING records have been smashed at the Orange Health Service where the auxiliary has raised more than $355,785 for the hospital in the last financial year.
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Auxiliary president Tracy Wilkinson said despite an ageing volunteer base and a struggle at times to fill shifts in the auxiliary-run canteen, volunteers had pulled out all stops in the last financial year.
“It is an amazing result,” she said.
“We’ve added up the hours and it means our volunteers have donated exactly 35,880 hours of their time to make this possible.”
Deputy director of nursing Mark Telford said hospital workers were appreciative of the huge efforts of the auxiliary who fund additional equipment purchases.
“It is a mammoth effort and Orange is very fortunate to have such a wonderful group of people who give up their time to make things better for other people,” he said.
Ms Wilkinson said a growing trend in the purchase of additional hospital equipment was to fund portable specialised equipment that could be wheeled to a patient’s bedside.
“The hospital’s instrument committee comes up with a wish-list for us,” she said.
“It’s always longer than we can fund, but this year we will be able to buy more than we ever have before.”
Ms Wilkinson said the use of auxiliary funds to purchase a new computer safety program for the linear accelerator was another example of the diversity with which the funds were spread around the hospital.
Ms Wilkinson is particularly pleased with the fundraising efforts considering the auxiliary has had to phase out a trolley service and reduce operating hours on a Sunday.
“Getting around the hospital is between four and five kilometres with a trolley and I’m afraid some of our members who are almost 80 just aren’t up to it,” she said.
“And we’ve had to start closing at 2pm on Sundays because we can’t get enough volunteers to work that day.”
If you would like to become involved in volunteering at the hospital call Ms Wilkinson on 0429 055 778.