Dedicated volunteers recognised for their work at Grantham hospital

Volunteers at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust have been recognised for their dedication with the presentation of long service awards.

A total of 32 volunteers were rewarded for 185 years of combined voluntary service between them. The awards were presented to those volunteers who have dedicated five, 10 or 15 years to United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Among those rewarded were Andrew LeMerle, Ann Worrall and Terence Tresadern who have shown dedicated service at Grantham hospital.

Andrew, corridor volunteer at Grantham and District Hospital, said: “Volunteering at the hospital over the past five years has been so rewarding, being able to provide a helping hand to those who need it. To then receive this certificate was just the cherry on the cake.”

The longest-serving volunteer has been at the Trust for 33 years and counting. The Trust now has a total of 222 volunteers and is ready to take on more.

Andrew Morgan, chief executive, said: “We chose to present our long service awards during National Volunteers’ Week as it is such an important occasion to celebrate the amazing work our volunteers do. They make such a difference to both our patients and staff, and as such, we want to take this opportunity to thank and recognise them.

“During National Volunteers’ week we held promotional stands in our hospitals, to highlight the amazing work our volunteers do, as well as holding award ceremonies to commend our long serving volunteers.”

Over the last year the Trust’s volunteers have carried out more than 18,500 hours of voluntary service and the Trust has recruited 122 more volunteers.

You can find out more about volunteering at ULHT on the Trust’s website.

Since last year’s National Volunteers’ Week the Trust has also introduced a new volunteering scheme, called the Busy Bees. Unlike the Trust’s established team of volunteers who are often based in specific areas, the Busy Bees react to real-time situations; they can move around the hospitals to different wards and departments, where they are needed most at any particular moment in time.