Celebrating GOSH Volunteers

Celebrating GOSH Volunteers

This Volunteers Week we are celebrating all the staff and volunteers who have helped with our GOSH pop-up shop. The GOSH pop-up shop was created to distribute generous donations to the hospital which were secured by Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. The shop provides staff with free food and provisions.

The creation and distribution of goods to the shop has been supported by the Special Events Team within the Charity and the hospital Built Environment team, as well as the Portering team and Lagoon staff. Several staff and volunteers from the hospital and charity also volunteered their own time to staff the shop. Thanks to incredible donations and the amazing staff and volunteers, the shop has been providing over 4,000 staff with hot meals and provisions for eight weeks!

Meet some of the incredible team!

Lily is a GOSH Volunteer who chose to continue supporting the hospital during the current situation by volunteering at the GOSH pop-up shop.

“I started in the Weekend Club before becoming a GOSH Guide shortly before the COVID-19 outbreak. I’ve spent most of the last couple of months helping with the GOSH Shop.  

“As the hospital limited visitors and clinics and appointments were cancelled, there were fewer and fewer people to guide around GOSH. I was keen that my time at the hospital was well spent and I was being as useful as possible in such trying times, so jumped at the chance to volunteer in the shop. 

“The shop is a fantastic opportunity to say thank you to the incredible staff who have kept GOSH going and selflessly come in, day after day, to help children and families here, even when it’s meant putting themselves at risk. A highlight has been getting to know different faces and departments within GOSH, and there has been a real sense of community and comradery in working together to help – from doctors and nurses, to those handing out donations, to delivery drivers and small businesses who have donated.”

Katie works as a Graphic Designer at GOSH Charity. She designs material for the hospital and charity. Katie decided to volunteer at the shop to support hospital staff.

“I wasn’t enjoying lockdown and being in my house 24/7! I was healthy and keen to get out and do something to help. I usually commute by bike so I could get to GOSH without burdening public transport and working at the shop seemed like a great way to support our hospital staff.

“The shop loads up a cart to deliver to some of the offices and departments that are a little further away or where staff can’t pop down to grab lunch. I’ve never felt so popular! People were really thankful to have lunch options brought to them as it just made their day that little bit easier.”

Faiza is a long-time supporter of GOSH. Unfortunately, she was unable to continue to physically volunteer at GOSH during the current situation, but she’s still been supporting the hospital from home!

“It has meant that I sadly haven’t been able to volunteer at all, especially as I mostly volunteer on the weekends and as weekend club had to shut their doors. I was also high risk with my health so wouldn’t have been able to come in.  

“I continued my duties as a Governor of GOSH, by attending Governor meetings online with the board and CEO. I also offered my services as a yoga teacher to all the volunteers and staff at GOSH and GOSH Charity, as I run online classes. 

“I’ve missed dressing up and taking the trolleys of magical games to the wards, its like part of me is missing right now and since I was a patient at GOSH this is the most time I have spent away from the hospital. However, I have heard the morale has still been high and loved receiving the volunteer newsletters seeing how everyone else is getting on. I cannot wait to be back causing all the mischief and magic with all my volunteer buddies.”