St Luke’s volunteer, Dinesh Soree is calling on the community to join him in helping to turn the Anand Mela purple for St Luke’s. St Luke’s is the local hospice, working to ensure that everyone with an incurable illness can access the care they need to live well, know that their family and carers are supported, and to die with dignity in the place of their choice.
Dinesh says: "In 2005, my wife Reshma visited the St Luke’s Day Care centre whilst she was going through a bad patch following cancer. The care and the attention she had from the nursing staff and the medical team was excellent. She felt a lot happier mentally and was able to share her feelings with others attending the day centre. Our son got married whilst she was not well and she made sure that she shared one of her happiest moments of her life with colleagues and nurses by bringing the wedding photos to the day unit. Seeing her happier really made my day and I am sure this would not have been possible without the full commitment from the staff and volunteers. The medical team had reviewed her medical needs for her pain control and this was greatly appreciated by our family.
The hospice was there for me and my family when we needed them most, and now it is my turn to pay back for this big favour through my volunteering.
I have been a member of the steering committee for Midnight Walk committee for last eight years. It gives me great pleasure to see that the hard work I put in pays off by raising much needed funds for the hospice. It is rewarding to see that my efforts are truly appreciated by staff as well as participants in the events. I meet people from many diverse cultures and backgrounds and this makes volunteering even more interesting and rewarding.
The Midnight Walk takes place on the 26 June and the atmosphere is electric. Seeing so many walkers participating and collecting funds for the hospice is superb. If you would like to walk for the hospice or to join in as a volunteer just go to www.stlukes-hospice.org/midnightwalk
I will also be volunteering at the Anand Mela. It community event and we would like to have involvement from all sectors of the community. What better way to spend a weekend than to participate in this event with your friends and help your local hospice to provide free palliative care for the community for many more years. Don’t forget to wear something purple!"
