Looking back on 2024

"I wanted to feed back how much I enjoyed working with Barbara, Fran and the team from the Trust as part of this year's PLACE assessments at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. They went out of their way to make me welcome and included, and we conducted several assessments around the hospital, including the Emergency Department and the Cancer Centre. I really felt that we were undertaking a valuable task, and the Trust team were incredibly diligent and thorough. I hope to take part in future PLACE assessments!"

Judi Holly - Volunteer

"Having recently joined Healthwatch and met a few of our volunteers at our social events, I have been amazed at the level of expertise and experience they bring to Healthwatch Brighton and Hove. As a small organisation they really extend our reach, and the enthusiasm they have for improving health and social care services for local residents is inspiring."

Kate Jones - Project Coordinator 

"I am a volunteer in the Homecare project and as part of this contacted a lovely gentleman. He was very chatty, asked where I was from, I told him, Brighton, transpires he went to school with my mother! Spent the rest of the time listening to his memories of school life in the 40s/50s. He was so happy! Didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know about my mother, I have to say. Still managed to get what I needed to do done though!"

Vanessa Hollingworth - Board Member

"Being involved on various Healthwatch projects has allowed me to connect with a cross section of service users who wish to share their experiences of accessing healthcare in the city. Meeting them has opened my eyes to the range of health and social issues that people may face. I think being able to relay these to relevant community organisations that can help them is important. It is very rewarding when you learn that positive actions have been taken as a result of what you reported.

In addition to contributing to Healthwatch’s mission to make a positive impact upon health service provision, there are many personal rewards of being a volunteer. 

On certain initiatives, such as the ‘Enter and View’ hospital project, you see some parts of the health service that you normally might not and you also meet health care professionals who provide fascinating insights into their work and some of the challenges they encounter. Last but not least are the social benefits of being involved. As a volunteer, you work in pairs or as part of a small team. The Healthwatch core team host regular volunteer get-togethers which are always fun and enjoyable and an ideal way to make new friends!"

Conor Sheehan - Volunteer

"It has been such a pleasure to work with volunteers slightly differently this year as I’ve transitioned between roles. The level of insight and wealth of knowledge our volunteers hold enrich our work and we wouldn’t have the impact we do without them. From inventing creative backstories for ‘mystery shopping’ hospital welcome desks (no fake moustaches necessary!) to committing hours of time to PLACE, our volunteers have tangibly contributed to improving our local health and social care services this year. Thank you!"

Katy Francis - Project Coordinator

"In the past year, I have been involved in Homecare Checks and PLACE assessment. I have been volunteering with Healthwatch since 2020, and I love how it feels like we are a team and a big family. Everyone that I have met through this volunteering role has been friendly, and supportive. I feel very safe and love everything that Healthwatch represents in the healthcare industry."

Leah Ashley - Volunteer

"In my role I get to work closely with our volunteers, and I’ve loved getting to know them. I’m always so impressed by the breadth of knowledge across the team and feel lucky to be able to learn from everyone. That was certainly true when I attended my first Enter and View with Mazzie this August. She really showed me the ropes and I was glad to get a sense of what our projects are like on the ground for our volunteers."

Jo Dorey - Project Support Officer

"As a Healthwatch volunteer, I have been pleased to support a couple of important projects which have run over 2024.

I have enjoyed chatting to a lot of users of social care as part of the Homecare Project. It has certainly broken any assumptions I may have had when looking at the age of  the Client. I’ve enjoyed many interesting and informative conversations while finding about their level of satisfaction on the services provided. It provided me with a very fulfilling look back over the year!

In addition, I was pleased to be part of HW volunteer teams assisting the Brighton Hospital Trust with their requirement to assess environmental and safety areas within their hospital premises (PLACE).

Volunteering with Healthwatch Brighton & Hove has and continues to be fun and I certainly enjoy contributing to the work involved but, as importantly, being part of a great volunteer team."

Mazzie Sharp - Volunteer

"I did the Council’s safeguarding training and the facilitator was very complimentary about Healthwatch. She said at the start she’d try not to point to me too much, but she referenced the importance of having the service users’ voice and highlighted that at various points throughout the session. She was also complimentary about our volunteers that she has trained and how thoughtful and engaged they were."

Will Anjos - Project Coordinator 

"I've been volunteering for a number of years but this year helped more with the Homecare project. It means working closer with other volunteers, albeit online, which has been really enjoyable. It's very humbling to see how much care and time other volunteers give, and how knowledgeable we all are collectively."

Elaine Foster-Page - Volunteer

"It’s lovely to work with a supportive team and the work I do on leaflet reviews is a real education. I have learned so much that I am able to share with family and friends."

Lynne Shields - Volunteer