Barry began his journey into volunteer management in 2008, starting initially as a volunteer. After studying counselling and pursuing an interest in social sciences and psychology, Barry volunteered for the local Witness Service. This experience inspired him to become involved in the work of Victim Support and presented an opportunity to learn about volunteering and best practice in volunteer management. Barry developed a passion for volunteering and trained to be an advocate for young people in care, after a spell of leading voluntary services within the charity sector Barry moved into healthcare to manage volunteering within the NHS.
To gain a greater understanding of volunteering in the NHS he became a member of NAVSM and in 2018 joined the National Executive Committee as training advisor. In December 2020 Barry was elected Chair of NAVSM and is proud to represent and champion all voluntary service staff in healthcare, a role that enables a wider perspective of healthcare volunteering and the challenges faced by colleagues.
Barry’s substantive role is as The Head of Volunteers at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, a world-renowned organisation, and experts in the field of cancer services. Barry works collaboratively with a wider national network of voluntary stakeholders and charities; his aim is to establish The Royal Marsden as a leading Trust for volunteering and NAVSM as a leading supporter of voluntary service staff in healthcare.
(Day job, how long associated with NAVSM)
VSM, Mum, Partner, Foodie and Potter in my ‘spare’ time, I have a love of coffee and all things French! I have worked in the NHS since 2005, initially within HR and then Training. I came to Voluntary Services in 2011 as a co-ordinator, and have been a member of NAVSM since. I then undertook an ILM5 qualification, became VSM in 2013 and joined the NEC at that time. In 2019, my role in the Trust changed when we were absorbed by the hospitals charity and I now cover Community Engagement in addition to Voluntary Services, managing a team of six.
Why you support NAVSM and the difference it makes:
I really enjoy being part of the NAVSM ‘family’ as the eNews Editor. It’s a great way for NAVSM to connect and engage with our members and keep you all updated with current national/worldwide topics relative to volunteering, and I’d encourage anyone to get involved.
Sally has worked in the NHS for 24 years and initially held positions in Patient Services, Bereavement Services and PALS prior to taking on the role of Voluntary Services Lead for the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Sally joined NAVSM in 2004 and has held various positions on the NEC including, Project Officer, Vice Chair and is currently the Chair for the East Anglian Hub.
She is passionate about identifying and implementing strategic development and service change while creating greater volunteer satisfaction. Her role on the NEC provides opportunities to work Nationally with partners to influence change and promote the value and growth of volunteering in health care while supporting her peers.
Sally is also a member of the advisory panel for the Institute of Volunteering Research (IVR) based at the University of East Anglia (UEA)
As well as an internal team of almost 700 volunteers, Sally manages and supports a portfolio of external volunteer groups affiliated to her Trust and has created a service framework to promote partnership working with VCSE’s where there is potential for links to support specialist clinical services.
Sally’s Trust has been successfully accredited with the Investing in Volunteers award on five occasions.
Paul joined his local trust North Tees and Hartlepool NHS FT in 2016 as a volunteer coordinator. His role at that time was to increase the number of volunteers, develop the service they offered to the trust and its patients, whilst developing the volunteer service infrastructure as numbers grew.
Having spent his career within the Welfare to Work sector delivering contracts for the Dep’t for Work and Pensions and other similar funders he knew the value of volunteering as a means to developing skills, qualities and ultimately finding employment.
Having joined the trust his understanding of the value of volunteering to the volunteers themselves quickly became evident, as did the impact their actions had on patients, staff, wider Trust and its community. Since this time Paul has dedicated his time to supporting more volunteers to support more patients and more staff, (knowing that this impacts on the Trust and the population which we serve).
Paul has been successful in bidding for a number of funding opportunities which has allowed him to develop a team of staff dedicated to growing the service.
Wanting to develop his own skills further and learn from those already involved in volunteer management within the NHS Paul joined NAVSM. Shortly afterwards, joining the NEC as the North Eastern HUB Chair. He is keen to develop the network of colleagues to offer support and ideas to how we can all grow our services for the benefit of the North, North Eastern population. Nominated and elected to the position of Vice Chair, his aim now is to support the Chair and continue to promote the NAVSM brand across the country, offering the support needed by all those involved in Volunteer management within the NHS at any level.
Young Health Champions & Voluntary Service Lead, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Rachael has worked for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for the past 22 years and has managed over 500 volunteers at HUTH for the last ten years, Rachael has been at the heart of the senior management team at HUTH and prides herself on inspiring the next generation of Health Care professionals leaving a legacy behind for when the time comes for her to pass on the baton and retire. Rachael is really passionate about delivering quality through the power of volunteering and has set up many projects throughout the years one of her biggest achievements is the Young Health Champions volunteering programme which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year since 2014 it has enabled thousands of young people across Hull and East Riding gain an experience through volunteering across the NHS, she has helped many different organisations to look at the pathways from volunteering into employment, apprenticeships or university degree. Rachael has been a member of NAVSM since 2012 and was appointed this year as part of the National Executive Committee. Rachael will chair the Yorkshire and Humber Hub for NAVSM. NAVSM is an amazing encyclopaedia of knowledge for VSM’s and coordinators with a wealth of knowledge throughout the team, they are always there on hand to support and to answer any of your concerns or queries.
I first started my NHS career when I was 18 years of age working as a nursing assistant in Mental Health at Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, before moving to Exeter in Devon. For the last 14+ years I have worked for Solent NHS Trust, in a number of different capacities, from the Complaints Manager, to the Patient Experience Manager and more recently volunteers becoming the Volunteer & Patient experience Manager.
I joined NAVSM in 2017, where I was later asked to be the Chair person for the South Coast Hub which I feel very privileged to be part of, developing and sharing best practice on a national basis.
NAVSM offers a great source of training and guidance and the local Hub meetings brings a wealth of knowledge, commitment and support to other Voluntary Service Managers & Heads. I am completely in awe of the dedication and fantastic work my colleagues at NAVSM do and of the commitment and dedicated work all the Voluntary Service Managers across the country do in supporting volunteers.
I am privileged to be a retired honorary member of the NEC. I worked in the NHS for
almost 40 yrs undertaking several roles in that time. Managing volunteers was
always part of whatever role I was undertaking. I managed volunteers for local
community hospitals and mental health across East Sussex. For the latter part of my
work I concentrated on mental health and put emphasis on securing substantive work
for service uses. My biggest achievement was being awarded CSIP (Care Services
Improvement Partnership) national voluntary services manager for the year 2002.
This was awarded for my work in starting up a hearing voices group in East Sussex
which was facilitated by volunteers.
In my spare time I love interior decorating, gardening and spending time with the
grandchildren Having a son living in Spain gives me the opportunity to spend quite a lot of time with him up in the mountains in rural Spain,
Anita started her NHS career 21 years ago in learning and development but moved into voluntary services in 2007. Anita has been in her current position as Voluntary Services Manager for Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals since October 2016. Anita joined NAVSM in 2011 and after observing how volunteer managers valued sharing information at our hub meetings and was privileged to be asked to take up the position of Hub Chair for the Northwest in 2015. Being the Hub Chair has helped her gain a better knowledge and understanding of the voluntary sector and she has established a huge network of people who she can call on for support and vice versa. Anita feels privileged to be able to bring likeminded people together, share information and help them to shape the future of volunteering by feeding back their views through the National Executive Committee.
Jack began his career in the NHS in November 2021 as an Level 3 Administration Apprentice in the Voluntary Services Team at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Since then, he has become the Voluntary Services Coordinator for HUTH and helps to manage and provide placements over 500 volunteers across the Trust’s Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital sites. Jack became NAVSM’s Hub Coordinator in late 2023 and hopes to create a positive difference and bring the Voluntary Services teams across the country together to share experiences and ideas
Emma began her career at City Health Care Partnership CIC in 2018 as Volunteer & Work Placement Lead. Throughout her career she has worked in partnership with various NHS Trusts and was involved in the delivery of the Covid national vaccination programme in Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire accountable for over 700 volunteers in partnership with both NHS and VCSE organisations.
Most recently Emma launched the Young Health Champions Together Programme in partnership with Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Joining the NAVSM executive team in late 2023 as Vice Chair of the Yorkshire and Humber Hub Emma is passionate about building partnerships and opportunities to better enhance the volunteer journey, adding value through the empowerment and impact of volunteering and strengthening talent pipelines to future health and care roles.
Val began working in the NHS in 1977 and worked for 46 years in NHS services across Suffolk.
Val began her career in Hotel services then moved into Risk management and HR before joining voluntary services at West Suffolk NHSFT in 2012 as volunteer coordinator.
After a brief spell as volunteer coordinator at Colchester hospital in 2019, Val returned to WSFT as voluntary services manager in November 2019 until my retirement in 2023.
Val loved working for VS and after retirement and wanted to become an associate member of the NAVSM NEC to continue supporting the East Anglian NAVSM hub as secretary, and support the re-development & relaunch of NAVSM.
