National Volunteer Week 2019

23 May 2019

L-R: SJGMLH Volunteer Coordinator Kerry James, David Doughty, Sandra Doughty and Ursula Frayne Nurse Unit Manager Frankie Murphy.

23 May 2019

He may have entertained the Queen and performed with Europe’s best instrumentalists but David Doughty now performs for older mental health patients in the Ursula Frayne Unit at St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital.

One half of a musical dream-team, David and his wife Sandra joined the St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital Volunteer Program a year ago after Sandra retired from her career in finance.

“I am essentially his manager, cataloguing his music, setting the list for the week and keeping track of his growing list of 1,390 sheets of music, Sandra said.

Childhood sweethearts who first met when they were eight years old, they reconnected in 2011 and David moved from the United Kingdom to join Sandra in Perth shortly after. They have now been happily married since 2013.

“I have been playing music since I was 15 years old and attended the Royal Military School of Music during my time in the British Army, David said.

“I play the saxophone, clarinet and alto to patients in the mental health ward and have lots of success stories where the music has reached patients when the caregivers couldn’t.

“I remember a particular patient who wouldn’t speak or interact with anyone and I had tried to play a few songs without success but when I played “All about that bass” she started interacting with the music.

“Everyone was shocked, it was a great moment.

“The caregivers also love to hear me playing in the unit and I have caught them dancing along a few times.

“Each week I get requests from patients so I learn new music, writing the music myself and covering songs from as early as the 1920s”.

Sandra recently bought David a new saxophone so the team at St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital is looking forward to seeing what he will play next.

Sandra and David are part of a team of 50 volunteers that support the hospital in a range of positions including administration, Cartwheels arts program, music, patient visitors, book library, kiosk trolley on the wards, and welcoming and directing patients and visitors.

Thank you to all our volunteers for selflessly giving up your time to help others, we (and our patients) are very lucky to have you.

If you are interested in volunteering your time to assist patients in SJGMLH please email [email protected] for more information.