Volunteer for Hush
Hush welcomes volunteers who share our love of music, art and kindness in health care.
We’re often looking for help with things such as graphic design, photography, events, sales and marketing as well as lots of other bits and pieces.
Get in touch to talk about volunteering opportunities with Hush.
Meet Our Dear Friend Gord
“I really have three connections with Hush,” said Gordon Harvey, a volunteer of Hush for almost 10 years. ”As a musician and believer in the contribution of the arts to health and wellbeing; as a person with a chronic illness experiencing more than my fair share of medical care; and, as the partner of a person working in the public health system with first-hand experience of some challenging workplace cultures.”
“My wife Nancy, a medical scientist, worked with Dr Cath Crock [The Hush Foundation Founder and Chair] at the Royal Children’s Hospital,” Gord (as he is fondly known as) reflected. “And Nancy was always telling me about this amazing colleague who was producing calming music to be played in the hospital environment.”
A passionate lover of music, and a musician himself, Gord thought the Hush Foundation was quite the unique project, especially having received medical treatment for a chronic condition at various hospitals over the years.
“I appreciated what a great idea it was, but didn’t think too much more about it, until something playing one day on ABC Classic FM made me prick up my ears.” Gord was taken aback.
“It was beautiful and fresh - a genuinely original blend of classical and jazz music. It turned out to be from Paul Grabowsky’s Hush Vol.7 album!”
Struck by the calming sounds, Gordon dug deeper and found out more about the work of Hush, and even ended up interviewing Cath for a music blog!
“I was really impressed that Cath cared as much about the music as the cause, and that so many artists and industry figures I admire had embraced the project.
“I also love that Hush is advancing conversations about kindness,” added Gord. “And that it’s drawing from the emotional intelligence, engagement and positivity that the arts can offer the world of healthcare.”
Taken by Cath’s vision, passion and humility, Gordon knew he wanted to get involved. And since that time, Gord has done just that! His tireless efforts behind the scenes have ensured both our Hush Foundation and Gathering of Kindness websites have been built, maintained and up-to-date. He has also been the author behind many of our much-loved Hush newsletters - with the latest one and this story an exception!
To find out more about how you can volunteer with Hush, please email: [email protected]
We know not everyone has time to volunteer, but your donations also make an incredible difference to the work we do. If you are able to donate, please click here.
At some point in our lives we are required to use our healthcare system, and not having a background in healthcare, I thought this would be a great opportunity to do so.I have been assisting with managing Hush Foundation's social media accounts, which has helped me broaden my skill set and learn new skills. Through my experience so far, I have met some other amazing volunteers and have learnt so much about our healthcare system that we all depend on.
Carla talks about volunteering with Hush
What inspires you about the work of Hush/Gathering of Kindness?
We have all been exposed to our healthcare system in one way or another, whether as a patient or a family member or friend of a patient. I know from my experience, this can be such an unsettling and stressful time.
This is why the work of the Hush foundation is so important as Hush exists to transform the healthcare industry through the arts. Through beautifully composed music, it aims to improve the healthcare experience for everyone, including you and me.
The Gathering of Kindness has taught me that kindness is so important within not only the healthcare industry but all industries and in order to create a kinder culture, it starts within all of us.
Why did you decide to volunteer with Hush? And how has the experience been so far?