Melvyn Sumroy, an 80 year old recently retired volunteer from Moortown, is sharing his experience of 18-years of service with Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, in the hope of encouraging more people into volunteering with the charity.
Melvyn applied the brakes only recently to his much loved role of being a volunteer driver for the Day Therapy Unit at Sue Ryder Wheatfield’s Hospice in Headingley. Now, he’s hoping others will come forward to give some of their time to supporting patients who attend the Hospice.
Melvyn: “Sue Ryder Wheatfields is my favourite volunteering place. I am really keen that the support of volunteers continues at the charity, as it is what makes the hospice what it is. It helps save much-needed vital funds for the charity, too.”
So what gave Melvyn the idea of the voluntary driving?
“I belonged to a local Rotary and one of the members said to me ‘When you retire I have a job for you’ and I said ‘Well, go on, then’ and she explained the opportunity of transporting patients to the day therapy unit.
“She said ‘Don’t commit yourself, just try’, and I have been ‘just trying it’ for 18 years! And those 18 years really have not seemed like a long time to me. I have been giving up only one day of the week to pick up people needing Sue Ryder’s care, and during that time you spend with them you do all you can to make them feel as comfortable as you can.
During the half an hour or so you spend together while you are driving them you get to chat about all sorts of things, and of course you get to pick them up again at the end of the afternoon and you carry on the conversation.”
During his 18 years of service, Melvyn has supported countless people receiving specialist care and support from Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice.
“I am very poor at maths, so I can’t say how many miles I have travelled and how many patients I have transported. But what I can say is that it never became like work. It was a commitment, and I loved it.
I felt it was my duty. It might sound silly but I looked forward every Tuesday to participating and supporting the hospice. It just happened – I was introduced to the concept by a close friend and I have enjoyed doing my bit ever since.”
Melvyn says he has been given a tremendous amount back from his volunteer role with Sue Ryder, too.
“I suppose volunteering was my way of returning back to society what society has given to me. I felt like it was my turn now to put my side of the gift into the people who have helped us.”
Melvyn hopes by sharing his experience so he can encourage more people to find out more about the vacant Day Therapy Unit Volunteer Driver role.
“One of the things that has most struck me about my time volunteering with Sue Ryder is that the patients always come first – whether it is food that is prepared or the activities delivered, it is the aim of Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice to let people come and relax and gain benefit from their day.
When patients arrive – from the moment they are picked up to the moment they are driven home – they are treated as a number one guest, which is just lovely. I have really enjoyed being part of the team making this happen.”
Melvyn has a number of pointers to share with future volunteers, too.
“Make sure you have at your fingertips the questions and answers that patients you are collecting might need answering. If they are coming up to the hospice for their very first session they might be a bit apprehensive and you have the opportunity in that half an hour you spend with them driving into the hospice to do what you can to help put their mind at rest.
“You need to be fairly good at navigating your way around Leeds, too!”
For more information on the available role as driver volunteer for Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, visit their online volunteering page, call 0113 278 7249 or email [email protected].
For more information on Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice visit www.sueryder.org/wheatfields
