6th March 2017 The Mayor of South Dublin Cllr Guss O’Connell opened the new volunteer coffee shop in Tallaght Hospital earlier this morning. The facility, which is entirely run by dedicated volunteers, has been refurbished and moved to a new part of the Hospital Atrium.
Operated by the Tallaght Hospital Volunteer Service, the coffee shop has long provided patients, visitors and staff with a welcoming and affordable service during their time in the Hospital and will continue this role in its new location.
Cllr Guss O’Connell, Mayor of South Dublin County Council said: “I am delighted to be here today to open the new volunteer coffee shop. Tallaght Hospital is a very important part of the community and the volunteer coffee shop is a testament to the important work done by volunteers in supporting the work carried out at the Hospital. Their work demonstrates the importance of community activism and the strength of local pride and support for Tallaght Hospital. I doubt if many of the public know that this café is staffed by volunteers, which highlights the fact that much of the work done by volunteers across our communities, and even in Tallaght Hospital, goes unnoticed. And today we honour them while praising the wonderful staff here in the coffee shop and the comfort they bring to people at what can be a very vulnerable time in their lives.”
Carol Roe, Volunteer Services Manager at Tallaght Hospital, said: “I know the whole Volunteer Service at the Hospital is really overjoyed to see this facility open today. Everyone who volunteers at the Hospital are committed to serving patients and their families as well as staff. The ethos of Tallaght Hospital is “People Caring for People” and I believe this new facility and location will enable us to do this in a more effective way.”
Ciaran Faughnan, Director of Facilities and Estates at Tallaght Hospital, said: “The reopening of the Volunteer coffee shop is a very special time and I am delighted that the Mayor of South Dublin was able to attend the opening, as a representative of the community in which we are based and care for. I wish to congratulate everyone who was involved in making this happen and to commend the work of our Volunteer Service. Tallaght Hospital is unique in the wide variety of roles our volunteers play in supporting patient care, something which they do in great numbers and with great enthusiasm and understanding.”
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Volunteering at Tallaght Hospital
If you are interested in volunteering at Tallaght Hospital please contact Carol Roe and she will be happy to answer any questions you may have. All volunteers need to complete a registration form and return it by email VolunteerServices@amnch.ie or by post to Carol Roe, Volunteer Services Manager, Tallaght Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24. If you apply you must be prepared to attend volunteer training and orientation, depending on the volunteer role this can take up to two days
To be eligible as a volunteer you must:
- Be enthusiastic and willing to help others
- Aged 16-100 years old
- Be able to commit to regular volunteer shifts for a minimum of 12 months
- Pass Garda vetting
- Be able to provide two references (not relatives)
Once we receive your application we will organise an interview, Garda clearance, reference check and two days training and orientation. This is compulsory before you can join us as a volunteer, your schedule will be put together following consultation with you on your work preference, availability and current vacancies.
About Tallaght Hospital
Tallaght Hospital is one of Ireland’s largest acute teaching hospitals, providing child-health, mental health and adult healthcare on one site. The Hospital has 495 adult beds and 67 paediatric beds, a staff of 2,600 people and an annual gross budget in excess of €250 million. The Hospital is a provider of local, regional and national specialities. It is a national urology centre, the second largest provider of dialysis services in the country and a regional orthopaedic trauma centre.
Tallaght Hospital is a major teaching hospital of Trinity College Dublin - specialising in the training and professional development of staff in nursing, health and social care, emergency medicine and surgery, amongst many others. The Hospital is part of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group which serves a population of over 1.2 million across seven counties.
A new satellite centre is to be built at Tallaght Hospital as part of the New Children’s Hospital project and will be a key element of an integrated clinical network for paediatric services nationally.
The Hospital’s Emergency Departments catered for 49,512 Adult Attendances and 33,717 Paediatric Attendances in 2016. A further 252,418 patients were treated through the Hospital’s adult and paediatric outpatient clinics in 2016. The Hospital’s operations are supported by 200 general practitioners in surrounding communities.
