Sally’s ability to think outside of the box makes her stand out

Sally Dyson has been described as professional, passionate and dynamic; taking volunteering at Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to a higher level by creating a volunteer workforce of over 700 (from a starting point of 65), in 45 different roles across 7 sites.

Since starting her role in 2004 Sally has grown the service to provide over 3,000 hours of help throughout the Trust a week with 25 external charity / voluntary groups affiliated to NNUH and she has shouted loud and proud for volunteers to be front and centre of NNUH experience of care.

During Covid19, Sally created a matrix to risk assess and support those volunteers who wanted to remain working throughout; reconfiguring to ensure crucial roles continued for patients, families and staff. Working with community partners to migrate the volunteers into crucial community responder roles, Sally ensured that those who had to stand down were not abandoned or forgotten. She rallied to the cause of keeping them connected with newsletters, emails and phone check-ins and latterly Zoom and Teams sessions.

Sally led by example with her fabulous and close-knit team of coordinators, pulling together and going the extra mile. Volunteer drivers really proved a lifeline and immediately Sally prioritised their work ensuring key medicines, chemo and samples were transported. In the first lockdown they delivered 200 prescriptions and covered over 400 miles. They supported chemotherapy to continue delivering cancer services to 70% of its patients where other hospitals ceased altogether.

Sally has always been on the front foot to innovate and the challenges of Covid19 emphasised this skill and aptitude. In the last year she has embedded a settle-in service for discharged patients ensuring they are safe. Started post discharge phone safety netting calls and created emergency department support and liaison roles. Butterfly volunteers, with the Ann Robson Trust, end of life companions who provide support for those who might otherwise die alone have recently been recognised via the Nursing Times awards. PAT dogs and dementia support volunteers meet the needs of a growing, ageing and vulnerable population. An early idea, now adopted widely, was Bleep Buddies; volunteers who act as runners to support when and where needed.

The key to the success of these is the network of community and voluntary sector partners she has built up over many years.

“It is Sally’s ability to think outside the box, inspire and collaborate with clinical and other colleagues that really makes her stand out as a remarkable voluntary services manager. A passionate advocate for building the right infrastructure and processes to ensure safe, reliable and supported volunteer programmes lead to 5 years’ worth of Investors in Volunteering awards and a national role with the National Association of Voluntary Services Manager (NAVSM). This is supported by her membership of the advisory panel for the Institute of Volunteering Research (IVR) based at the University of East Anglia (UEA) ensuring Sally has academic rigour and professional expertise to develop volunteering to the highest standards.”

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