A legendary volunteer’s dedication, a love for their community, and strong bonds unite the team behind Concord Hospital’s monthly markets.
 

A desire to give back to their community, a sense of camaraderie and the inspiration of a Concord Hospital legend have helped forge important bonds for the group of volunteers that run the hospital’s monthly markets.  

Many of the women have been volunteering for more than a decade, with the COVID-19 pandemic the only interruption to their work at the hospital.  

Yvonne Smith and Bev Newsome both began their volunteering work after they needed treatment at Concord and early interactions with legendary volunteer Peggy Dickinson cemented their commitment.  

“I broke my collarbone and came down to the hospital, and I was quite blown away by the way I was treated in emergency,” Yvonne said.   

Bev said: “I was out walking one day and stepped off the gutter and broke my ankle ... and, same thing. They treated me so well, and I thought, ‘I'm only working three days a week ...  well, why can't I do this?’ ”   

It was in a lift down to the hospital foyer that Yvonne encountered two volunteers – one of them was Peggy.  

“This lady is still volunteering and she’s in her 80s? I thought, ‘Wow!’ ” she said.  

“So, I straight away found out where the volunteer co-ordinator was, went over and spoke to her and said, ‘When I get better, can I come back as a volunteer?’  

“Peggy was the instigator of it for me. I've never forgotten that. And we got on really, really well. Worked with her many years.”  

Peggy Dickinson volunteered at Concord Hospital for decades after her husband Ken, a World War II veteran, was treated there after the war. She continued to volunteer until her late-90s and died earlier this year, just shy of her 101^st birthday.  

Lorraine Thomas said Peggy’s dedication to the hospital was a true inspiration.  

“She was so amazing and old school, but she used to walk from around the other side of the bay at about five or so in the morning to be here. We called her our boss,” Lorraine said.  

While Peggy served as an inspiration for the volunteers, they have also forged some powerful bonds in their work together. Yvonne said many of the volunteers socialised regularly and maintained their bond throughout the pandemic by going out for a coffee or a lunch when restrictions were eased.  

Julie Horne said one of the great rewards of her work was the way Concord Hospital staff respected the volunteers’ contributions.  

“I like the way the volunteers are valued,” she said.  

“I was in a line to get some food, and I was talking to the lady next to me. She says, ‘What do you do?’ I said, ‘I'm just a volunteer.’ Someone tapped me on the shoulder at the back. She says, ‘I'm a doctor here. And you're not just a volunteer. You're part of us.’ ”  

While they combine their talents at the markets once a month, where they have raised tens of thousands of dollars for the hospital, the volunteers’ responsibilities don’t end there.  

“We all do other things besides the markets,” said Helen Davis.  

“Hon Lee and Lorraine and I do wayfinding. Some work in palliative care, making tea and coffee, in the kitchen, Oncology.”   

There are others working in Palliative Care, operating the Courtesy Cart shuttle service transporting up to 75 patients each morning, preparing about 550 treatment packs for dialysis each week, operating a hospitality trolley in Day Therapy, providing diversional therapy activities in Acute Aged Care, and glove making for the Burns Unit.