Volunteers mark NHS anniversary

Oct 9 2008 by Shirley Bartynek, Hamilton Advertiser

VOLUNTEERS were at the centre of the penultimate event run by NHS Lanarkshire to mark the 60th anniversary of the health service.

A gathering in the banqueting suite at South Lanarkshire Council's headquarters yesterday (Wednesday) paid tribute to volunteers past and present who gave their time to a whole host of health-related organisations and groups across the county.

There are around 400 individuals who volunteer for a variety of NHS-supported services across Lanarkshire.

Some of them work directly with NHS Lanarkshire through membership of the Public Partnership Forums (PPFs).

Others give their time and commitment to help and support patients, families and visitors in the community and within hospitals.

One volunteer is Hamilton woman Karen Morton, who helps with the Community Mothers project based in Blantyre.

It was launched in 2002 to improve breast-feeding rates in Lanarkshire, which are among the lowest in Scotland.

It does this by relying on Lanarkshire women like Karen, who breast-fed their own children, to volunteer as part of a peer support service.

Karen became involved after her second child was born, though she wishes she had access to such a service after her first child.

She said: "It's something I could have really done with after my first baby.

"It really benefited me and I just felt that I could help other mothers and so offered to become a volunteer."

Under the scheme, a ‘community mother’ will pair up with a new mum and give her one-to-one advice and support while she is in hospital and will follow this up either through contact by phone or home visits after they leave.

If you would like to find out more about volunteering, call Katrina Murray on 01236 707796.

If you would like to find out more about Community Mothers, which has other initiatives in Hamilton, Cambuslang, Rutherglen and Larkhall, call Community Mothers North on 01698 377 655 or Community Mothers South on 01698 714 958.

You can also visit the website at http://www.nhslanarkshire.co.uk/Services/Breastfeeding/Lanarkshire+Breastfeeding+Initiative/Community+Mothers+Home+Page.htm