Over 200 volunteers have been thanked for the amazing work they do at a special event celebrating the valuable contribution they make to East Surrey Hospital’s patients, visitors and staff.
Volunteers were joined at the event by Michael Wilson, chief executive, Fiona Allsop, chief nurse and Maris Codling, voluntary services manager who said: “We are very lucky to work with such a supportive group of volunteers who dedicate so much of their own time in helping others. They are a fantastic bunch of people who are committed and extremely loyal and we are grateful to each and every one of them and this annual event is our way of saying ‘thank you’.”
The majority of volunteers, whose ages range from just 16 years old to 92, live locally and bring a wide variety of skills and experience to their roles.
One particularly significant milestone was celebrated by local Redhill resident 88 year old Gordon Thomson who has dedicated the past 25 years in volunteering his services to the hospital which is run by Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust based in Redhill. Gordon who was delighted to receive the honorary award said: “I was very touched to receive this award. I came here for a two week trial back in 1990 and enjoyed it so much I’m still here 25 years later. It is satisfying and very rewarding to be able to help other people.”
Thirty volunteers were presented with long service awards by Maris Codling and Michael Wilson who said: “Every year our volunteers give thousands of hours of their time to support teams across the hospital supporting our staff with routine tasks whilst offering a warm welcome to patients and visitors. It is important to recognise this and celebrate the hard work and excellent care they provide all year round.”
If you are interested in volunteering at East Surrey Hospital, please contact maris.codling@sash.nhs.uk
