Volunteers Clock up 345 Years Service with Hospital

13 October 2004

Volunteers who have given their spare time to help patients, visitors and staff at West Suffolk Hospital have received long service awards.

Between them 30 of the hospital¹s many volunteers have clocked up a combined total of more than 345 years service.

The Trust¹s chairman Veronica Worrall presented the awards at Southgate Community Centre in Bury St Edmunds on Friday (Oct8) night.

Each award recipient was presented with a commemorative pin badge denoting their number of years service and a card signed by the Chairman acknowledging their contribution.

The ceremony was extra special this year. Long service awards have been given out for a number of years but this was the first time the Trust has been able to recognise the service that the Friends of West Suffolk hospital have given.

The President of the Friends of West Suffolk Hospital Norman Oldham received a special recognition award for 35 years service. In his 35 years with the Friends he has been Secretary, Chairman for six years, and for the past three years President.

He joined the Friends when he moved to Bury after his boss, who was also a member, suggested he joined so that he could meet interesting local people. When he discovered the Secretary was about to retire he volunteered to take his place.

Mr Oldham said: "The Friends act as custodians of some of the money donated to the hospital and in consultation with the Trust we help to decide how the money should be spent.

"I have met and worked with some lovely people over the past 35 years and I am very pleased and proud to be presented with this award."

The ceremony also marked 30 years of service for Lynda Seldis from the Red Cross.

Chairman Veronica Worrall said: "It is a real privilege to be able to present these awards to volunteers who have dedicated their spare time to help others. As a busy hospitals trust we could not function without them. We are all indebted to them."

The award recipients were:

Five years service ­Doreen Berry (volunteers on G1), Carol MacDonald (Red Cross), Maureen Orange (Chaplaincy), Gwendoline Wilson (OPD Breast Clinic), Jean Mabin (Library/info desk), Barbara Mayhew (Chaplaincy), Greg Tunmore (Radio West Suffolk), Wayne Pickering (RWS).

Ten years service ­ Don Endersbee (info desk), Gordon Garnham (WRVS), Irene Rickards (WRVS), Brian Stoneham (RWS), Russ Wallis (RWS), Martin Hobson (RWS), Barbara Hardwick (WRVS), Ethel Davis (WRVS).

Fifteen years service ­ Christine Hinchley (WRVS), and Marjorie Sheen (WRVS).

Twenty years service ­ James Rand (RWS)

Volunteers from the Friends of West Suffolk Hospital: Eric Wilson (6 years), David Lindsay (8 years), Cynthia Young (10 years), Alan Palmer (11 years), Sally Palmer (11 years), Charles Young (14 years), Harry Bate (16 years), Jean Oldham (17 years), and Margaret Bonsor (17 years).