The candy-striped shirt of the Pink Ladies is hard to miss at the Royal North Shore Hospital. One woman who wears the uniform with pride is Joy Campbell-Stevens OAM, a celebrated charity worker who is entering her 18th year with the committee.
Having already worked as a nurse, dental assistant and volunteer medic in Vietnam, Joy was stepping down as president of Bayview Golf Club when approached about joining the hospital. Not as just any volunteer, however, but with The Pink Ladies –a unique collective that has been running since 1956.
Becoming president just two years later, Joy oversees fundraising events such as fashion shows and cake stalls, meets with retailers for donations, and runs The Pink Shop, the committee’s main fundraiser, which sells hand-knitted baby wear, maternity items, toys, books and handcrafts, just as they did 65 years ago.
Under her guidance, Pink Ladies have raised over five million dollars, with Joy emphasising ‘all profits are funnelled straight back into the hospital.’ With Joy at the helm, The Pink Ladies have purchased lifesaving equipment entirely from its own funds, costing upwards of $50,000.
In addition, the affectionately named ‘trolley-ladies’ work in the wards, delivering home comforts such as snacks, papers, and toiletries.
An important part of both the hospital and North Sydney community, the Pink Ladies also functions as its own family, providing ‘a place to share troubles, connect, and offer support,’ including to those who frequent the hospital. For the volunteers, it offers a shared experience, something crucial for the many of those retired or living alone. Some members, Joy recalls with pride, have been a Pink Ladies for over 30 years.
The strength of the volunteer group and the hospital community has supported Joy through her husband’s stroke, who also contributed to the community and manned the BBQ as a ‘Pink Man’ for many years.
And, with Joy’s relentless optimism and determination, The Pink Ladies were able to endure throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a devastating effect on the organisation’s efforts.
She recalls with heartbreak how limited the committee’s activities have become, and with it, donations, funds, and members. Yet, fuelled by a tenacity possessed by few, Joy is already looking to build up again. With a diary stacked with interviews with potential Pink Ladies, future members should look to encapsulate Joy’s commitment, empathy, and her ‘that’s just life’ attitude.
Despite her admission that she often feels like she ‘isn’t doing enough,’ her achievements speak for themselves, with Joy having been awarded the Order of Australia Medal last year, something she mentions quite matter-of-factly. To this day, Joy still doesn’t know who submitted her for the medal, which goes to show how many people have been directly affected by her incredible efforts.
Over the hour or so we chat, at least three separate groups greet us, immediately gushing about Joy’s generosity and cheekiness.
With the Pink Ladies undeniably the ‘hub’ of Royal North Shore Hospital, it would seem that Joy is the ‘heart’ of The Pink Ladies.
For membership, event and fundraising enquires, The Pink Ladies can be contacted at the group’s Facebook page, ‘Pink Ladies Royal North Shore Hospital Sydney Australia’. They can also be found at The Pink Shop, located at Royal North Shore Hospital, Ground Level, Shop 10.
By Amelia McNamara