Charity should start in your own city

King Mallie

HI All,

I was UCHG a few weeks ago and the staff were brilliant. But my little fella was in for a few days but the only thing that kept him going was the playroom which was opened by two wonderful girls for two hours day, These ladies gave their time free of charge.

To see poor little kids that were in lots of pain / discomfort, fasting for procedures etc and to see there faces light up when this playroom opened for the two hours each day was a joy to behold.

So I would ask the good citizens of Galway that if you have some spare time to volunteer to help open this hospital playroom open for as long as possible each day.

Thanks for helping if you can !!:)

inisboffin

It's great that we have wonderful volunteers but I'm not sure I get the point of your heading? Surely charity should start in the first place you think needs it most? Whether that is next door to you or something you see on holiday? I don't think it has to be either or.

King Mallie

inisboffin wrote: »

It's great that we have wonderful volunteers but I'm not sure I get the point of your heading? Surely charity should start in the first place you think needs it most? Whether that is next door to you or something you see on holiday? I don't think it has to be either or.

look im trying to get the people of galway to help the kids of galway and your banging on about the heading of my post ??
If you dont have anything positive to add, then please dont post on this thread

_Whimsical_

King Mallie wrote: »

look im trying to get the people of galway to help the kids of galway and your banging on about the heading of my post ??
If you dont have anything positive to add, then please dont post on this thread

Wow, calm down, he has a very valid point. Charity begins at home for most all of us, for me I donate to a charity that supports research into the illness of a family member, for everyone when they put their hand in their pocket it's because it's something close to their heart. It's just one of those emotive phrases. To be honest you might get more responses and get your message out easier if you change your title to reflect the problem in the hospital.

I remember being in hospital a bit as a kid and they had a play therapist and the playroom was open all day and night. A shame if that's not the case any longer,it's a pretty harsh cut to an essential part of being in hospital for a kid. I'm surprised they're opening it to volunteers, must be quite a bit of work coordinating that as you'd need garda vetting etc. It's something I'd love to help with but I just couldn't right now. I think lots of people would love to do it.

Mrs OBumble

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

I'm surprised they're opening it to volunteers, must be quite a bit of work coordinating that as you'd need garda vetting etc. It's something I'd love to help with but I just couldn't right now. I think lots of people would love to do it.

A friend, who was doing a childcare course at the time, tried to volunteer for this but they turned her down because she'd live overseas for a while and thus the garda vetting couldn't cover her whole life! At least that's what the said - maybe they didn't like her for some other reason. But still, they're fussy.

I also think it's useful to distinguish between qualified play therapists (who know an incredible amount about child development and how to encourage it through recreation) and nice-but-unqualified volunteers who how how to supervise a play area. Both are useful, but they aren't the same thing.

OP, if you want more people to volunteer to help this service, it would be helpful to post their contact details here. But you might like to talk to them first about what sort of publicity and help they want.

_Whimsical_

Yeah I'd be surprised if they wouldn't be very very choosy and if places weren't hotly contested. After all there's lots of career areas it would be good experience for, from childcare to nursing students,psyc students etc.

It's a really great shame though that the playroom is no longer open all day and that there isn't a play therapist. I remember myself it being so important. I'm sure in terms of stress relief and general recovery that the act of playing and the impetus to push yourself to get stronger so you can get down there among the toys must invaluable.

Maybe money might be more important than volunteers OP. Might be worth trying to raise some.30-40k might employ a full time play therapist.

King Mallie

I have suggested that maybe fas or some state agengy might be able to help ?
All the people calling to my door looking for votes, have been asked what are they going to do about the situation if they are elected. Im asking them to send me an e mail so that they can back track on the promises made.

_Whimsical_

King Mallie wrote: »

I have suggested that maybe fas or some state agengy might be able to help ?
All the people calling to my door looking for votes, have been asked what are they going to do about the situation if they are elected. I'm asking them to send me an e mail so that they can back track on the promises made.

Well fair play for caring and bringing it up on the doorstep with people who might be able to help. I'd be surprised if FAS could help, really you'd need people vetted up to their eyeballs in a role like that. Politicians will hopefully be a good start for getting some ball rolling somewhere though!
I think it could be great volunteer experience for psychology MA students or even one of the many newly graduated teachers we hear are out of work.

King Mallie

Thanks for replies.

King Mallie

Hi all,

I have now raised this with our new councillors so now waiting to see wat they will do.

Hildred

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

A friend, who was doing a childcare course at the time, tried to volunteer for this but they turned her down because she'd live overseas for a while and thus the garda vetting couldn't cover her whole life! At least that's what the said - maybe they didn't like her for some other reason. But still, they're fussy.

My experience with Garda Vetting following my return to Ireland to work in the then Health Boards was a police report was requested from my previous countries and cities of abode to fill in the gaps. My impression is that it's a hassle for them, not thats it's incredibly difficult, to make contact with international police departments, but squeaky wheels get the oil. Sqweaking worked for me! :-)

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I also think it's useful to distinguish between qualified play therapists (who know an incredible amount about child development and how to encourage it through recreation) and nice-but-unqualified volunteers who how how to supervise a play area. Both are useful, but they aren't the same thing.

I imagine that there would be increasing numbers of play therapists in most hospitals in the Dublin Metropolitan Area. It is a great joy to see them interact in such a wonderful, knowledgable way with the children. I agree that qualified play therapists and nice-but-unqualified volunteers (some of whom may have taken child care courses; and you must surely agree have a great interest in the children and getting them relaxed enough to play, and their willingness to learn how to make those ill children feel a bit more at peace, a bit less frightened by their surroundings and perhaps even a little less frightened of the nursing staff and the fact that they're not in their own little beds) are not the same thing.
However, I feel that wonderful and amazing voluntary play staff, when suitably vetted by Gardai and deemed suitable for the task of making the lives of these sweet unwell children better through play, should be welcomed with open arms and hearts, by any hospital who can keep a paediatric playroom open for only two hours a day. Volunteers-but-not-play-therapists have the potential to be the lifeblood of many excellent Paediatrics Departments where funding for Play Therapists simply isn't available, as must be the case in many rural areas of the country generally ignored by government, such as Portiuncula Hospital Ballinasloe, Roscommon County Hospital, Sligo Regional Hospital, Mayo General Hospital and Letterkenny General Hospital to name but a few where funding levels are being massacred year in, year out. I cannot speak for the hospitals in other rural areas, but I suspect similar stories would be told.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

OP, if you want more people to volunteer to help this service, it would be helpful to post their contact details here. But you might like to talk to them first about what sort of publicity and help they want.

Perhaps the first step towards enabling a voluntary staffing of the Paeds Playroom,would be to first approach the Paeds Dept to discuss the possibility of such a thing actually happening. Would existing insurance be sufficient to cover a number of volunteers on a daily basis? On a long term basis? Is their Risk Management appropriate for voluntary staff? If there is an openness and a willingness to proceed, then by all means begin your recruiting on this forum. But under NO circumstances should your volunteers personal details, other than their names, be made public, for their own personal safety. Boards.ie is an extraordinarily large organisation and I'm *quite* sure I wouldn't like my personal details made public for all the Boarld to see.

Mrs OBumble

Sorry, bad Eng-rish on my part: I meant, of course, the contact details of the place where people could volunteer with - not the details of the volunteers!

Hildred

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Sorry, bad Eng-rish on my part: I meant, of course, the contact details of the place where people could volunteer with - not the details of the volunteers!

Thank you Mrs O B for clarifying that point. I *was* a bit sip surprised by it. Clearly a case of misunderstanding. It was probably past my bedtime when I responded and therefore, brain was already ensconced in cotton wool! ☺

TerrorFirmer

I think the HSE are sorting this out at the moment. Should be a play therapist soon.

King Mallie

Excellent news but I wouldn't hold my breath for hse

TerrorFirmer

They're approved the post but are going about filling it at the moment. As you said, who knows how long that'll take.