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Addenbrooke’s says 'thank you' to young and long-serving volunteers

Addenbrooke’s has said 'thank you' to its volunteers for giving up their free time to help patients throughout the hospital at the Young Volunteer and Long Service Awards (Tuesday 11 January 2005).

The 2004 Young Volunteer of the year award went to Eleanor Wheeler aged 24, a postgraduate student who helps in the Lewin Stroke Unit. Eleanor received an engraved crystal vase and £100. Other nominees in the category received certificates acknowledging their contribution.

A total of 41 volunteers were eligible to receive long service certificates, acknowledging five, ten or 15 or more years’ service. One of these went to Betsy McNeil, one of the hospital’s longest-serving volunteers who has been coming to Addenbrooke's for over 35 years. Mrs McNeil first volunteered on the wards looking after patients' plants and flowers and now helps in the Oncology Department.

Betsy McNeil (centre) receiving her award from Dr Mary Archer, Chairman, and Malcolm Stamp, Chief Executive

Speaking about the awards, Marion Baldwin, Voluntary Services Manager, said: “It is always such a pleasure to host an event that brings together some of our youngest and newest volunteers with those who are more mature and whose involvement with the hospital is much more long-standing. We hope our young volunteers will have developed a taste for volunteering which will stay with them long after they have left the hospital. As for our older volunteers, their contribution is incalculable; their commitment to the hospital and its patients is immensely heartening. Long may their volunteering continue."

The awards were presented by Dr Mary Archer, the hospital's chairman, who expressed her thanks to the volunteers together with those of Addenbrooke’s board members. She made reference to the UK Year of the Volunteer and the benefits that volunteering brings to the host organisation, service user and volunteer.

Addenbrooke’s greatly values the contribution made to its work by volunteers, who help make the hospital a more pleasant place to work and be cared for in. Each year 700 volunteers give up their free time on a regular basis to help patients throughout the hospital. Some of these volunteers are also members of voluntary organisations, including the Red Cross Therapeutic Beauty Care, Women's Royal Voluntary Service, and Citizens Advice Bureau. Duties include delivering newspapers to patients on wards, attending to flowers and guiding patients to wards and clinics, and even bringing PAT (Pets as Therapy) animals in to bring a smile to patients and staff.

February 2005

For further press/media information contact: PR & Communications Department, Box 53, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ; Tel: 01223 274 433; Fax: 01223 257 143; Minicom: 01223 274 604.