VALUED volunteers for the charity which supports the Hospital of St Cross have been honoured for collectively giving over 500 years of service.
A group of volunteers with the Friends of St Cross were presented with long service awards, having each completed more than 10 years of service, at the charity’s annual general meeting.
Trustee Elizabeth Burnett said: “In recognition of the fact that many of our volunteers have retired later than those recruited in earlier years, and so may choose to volunteer for a shorter period than their predecessors, the Board has decided to reduce the length of time to qualify for Long Service Awards from 15 years to 10 years.
“The Friends Board decided that Long Service Award badges should be given to 90 volunteers – 35 of whom are still actively volunteering for the Charity and have themselves given over 500 years of service.”
During the meeting, the importance of the contribution made by volunteers at the Hospital of St Cross was recognised by Mayor Carolyn Watson-Merret.
She was joined by Andy Hardy and Dame Stella Manzie, respectively Chief Executive Officer and Chair of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Trust, who thanked The Friends volunteers for the difference they make to the experience of patients and staff at the hospital.
Doug Jones, Chair of The Friends, said: “The various services provided by the Friends at St Cross are managed through a team of eight Service Co-ordinators leading the 150 plus volunteers – who continue to deliver, week in week out with commitment, enthusiasm and good humour more hours of service than before the pandemic struck.
“To all our volunteers both new and long serving, I thank you for your service.”
He added: “It is great that we have recently been able to re-open the Tea Bar in Out Patients at St Cross, and we are keen to recruit more volunteers from across the community in order to supplement the teams.”
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