When people think of the Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda, the pink ladies most likely spring to mind.

But the public are not necessarily aware of the critical role the charity plays in supporting the hospital and the wider community, according to general manager Nancy Oughton.

Ms Oughton spoke to The Royal Gazette to encourage the public to support the charity by volunteering or frequenting the three businesses it runs in order to buy equipment for King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute.

“I’d like to see the public supporting us and shopping in our shops, and perhaps getting a hold of us if they have time to be a long-term volunteer with our organisation,” Ms Oughton said.

“We are always looking for that.”

She explained that HAB worked in partnership with Bermuda Hospitals Board but it was a separate charity and had “nothing to do with the hospital administration or affairs”.

“We provide services around the hospital and then we raise money through our three businesses that we run and we purchase medical equipment for both hospitals.

“So we are pretty critical to the operation of the hospital and the community as a whole because they come in to get medical treatment and the equipment has probably been purchased by the auxiliary.

Between 2012 and 2016, HAB donated $1,634,518 of equipment, including an X-ray machine, two ambulances and a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

“In addition, we have recently paid $292,958 for equipment for the Intensive Care Unit and have agreed to purchase another two ambulances and 20 wheelchairs, which are likely to cost another $225,000.”

The charity normally donates between $300,000 to $500,000 of equipment per year, with BHB providing a wish list of what is needed. “The more money we raise, the more equipment we can purchase and that ultimately benefits the community at large,” Ms Oughton said.

“What’s unusual for our charity, compared with other charities, is that we do not do any fundraising.”

She added that funds are wholly generated by the Gift Shop, the Pink Café and the Barn — Bermuda’s largest thrift store — as well as the membership dues.

“Next year will be our 65th anniversary, so we have provided billions of dollars to the hospital for medical equipment,” she said.

HAB has 11 salaried employees but volunteers make up the rest of its 491-strong membership and together they donated 33,760 hours last year. A total of 10,484 hours were spent dealing directly with patients in 2016 saving BHB $288,230.

“If it wasn’t for us, they would have to be paying salaried employees to do what we do,” Ms Oughton said.

In addition to its 235 active HAB members and 168 inactive members, there are also 88 students in the successful candy striping programme, which is so popular there is a waiting list until 2026, with children as young as six in line to participate when they reach the required age.

The volunteers work throughout the hospital, from manning the information desks and greeting visitors to filling roles when other staff members call in sick.

Other volunteers help to facilitate weekly chapel services, or they take the hospitality cart — a mini gift-shop on wheels — around the wards. They also keep the lending library stocked, deliver flowers and baby bags to new mothers, spend time with long-term patients and help patients with their menu choices. They also run the overseas family help service to assist hospitalised overseas visitors and their families.

“You can imagine being in a strange country and landing in the hospital — how frightening that is. We hold their hands the whole way.

“We could get a patient in here with the clothing on their back and having no money — we will clothe them and we will feed them until they get back home.”

They also staff the Pink Café, the HAB Gift Shop in the acute care wing, and the Barn.

“There is something for everybody here,” Ms Oughton said. “I want you to be happy and enjoy volunteering so we find something that will not only fulfil my needs but also have you as a long-term volunteer.”

She added that recruitment is always ongoing because most volunteers are aged over 60 and about 90 per cent are women.

Commitment is key because of the training required and new volunteers are asked to donate a minimum of 50 hours a year.

Oughton said: “It’s a commitment because we are running a business here and we have a duty to have all the areas that we volunteer in the hospital manned.”