Celebrating our volunteers: Kate Milligan’s story
As a Trust, we are supported by around 400 volunteers each year who bring their own individual skills, experience and passion to the Trust.
Today we are highlighting the incredible work of Kate Milligan, a volunteer who has been supporting the Occupational Therapy team for over a decade. Kate shares her story in her own words below:
“I have been volunteering for 13 years at the Bethlem Royal Hospital, supporting the Occupational Therapy team in the textile department alongside Terrance (Textiles Specialist Instructor).
After losing my mum to cancer in 2010, I found it difficult to cope. Two years later, at the age of 40, I was still struggling with anxiety and depression. A friend suggested volunteering, believing that helping others could also help me. One of the opportunities available was at the Bethlem Royal Hospital.
I contacted the Occupational Therapy department and was invited for an informal interview with Peter, the head of the department. His team covers a wide range of activities, including art, textiles, music, drama, cooking, ceramics, computer studies, gardening, and woodworking. With my background in art, screen printing, and surface decoration, my skills were best suited to the textile department. In October 2012, I attended my first session there—coincidentally, it was also Terrance’s first day.
My time in the textile department has focused on providing both technical and emotional support to facilitators and clients. By sharing lived experiences, listening without judgment, and relating to everyday challenges, we aim to create a safe space where people can express themselves creatively.
Over the years, I have contributed to a variety of exhibitions at the Bethlem Royal Hospital. These include the Chelsea Flower Fringe Show in 2014, which I co-created with Terence. It featured 500 handmade pompoms displayed in the Walled Garden, made by service users, staff, and volunteers.
In 2018, I took part in The Fabric of Being, a textile-based show in the new Bethlem Gallery. More recently, in 2023, I was involved in Tactile, an exhibition in the Maker Space, opened by Matthew Hess from The Great British Sewing Bee.
The textile department also runs a stall at the summer fair, selling handmade textiles and pottery created by volunteers, service users, and staff to raise funds. Every year since I began volunteering, I have contributed my own handmade crafts, including Louis Wain–inspired tapestry cushions and Christmas decorations made from recycled plastic bags to the Bethlem Gallery’s annual Christmas fair.”
Find out more about our volunteering service: Information about volunteering at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
