It’s National Volunteer week and we are incredibly fortunate to have an extraordinary family of more than 450 volunteers, who generously choose to gift their time and talents to help our hospitals every week. Huge aroha and thanks to them all! This week we’d love to introduce a few of them.
Today we have a duet of volunteers! Meet Nuwani and Patrick, both pianists with our volunteer music programme. Music offers many calming and therapeutic benefits, and we are extremely fortunate to have over 35 talented musicians who enchant and entertain patients, visitors and staff every week.
Multi-talented Nuwani plays the piano and accordion. She also works for the CCDHB and kindly gives up several lunchtimes every week to play our baby grand piano in the hospital atrium. She tells us, “‘I love music and play by ear and believe it’s a gift/talent which I need to share with others and make others happy. I enjoy getting out of my workspace at the CCDHB and volunteering to play the piano a few lunchtimes each week and it’s amazing to see how people enjoy the music just as much as I enjoy playing.”
Patrick is at Victoria University studying Media Studies, Political Science and Philosophy – and is not only an accomplished pianist, but also plays a range of other instruments. He explains that, “Music, for me, is an unbridled passion that brings me huge joy, introspection and a chance to express myself with others. Volunteering at our hospital has reinforced the idea of music as a gift, that is most valued when it is shared and appreciated with other people. I am humbled and extremely grateful every Thursday morning, with every note I play, and in turn, every smile, thumbs-up, laugh or sing-a-long I receive. Thank you to our people at Wellington Hospitals Foundation, and thank you to everyone who drops by.”
It’s a huge privilege to have Nuwani, Patrick and others share their gifts with our hospitals in this way.
He aha te mea nui o te Ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people. Interested in volunteering with us? See here for more details.