Thursday 28th October 2010
Kings School, Gloucester
11.30am – 2.00pm
Guest Speaker and Presentation of Awards: Dame Janet Trotter
Also attend by: Dr Frank Harsent – Chief Executive and Members of the Executive Committee
Some 200 Volunteers from Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, including, Members of the Department of Spiritual Care and representatives from The Friends of Gloucestershire Hospital, and Wheatstone, will be meeting for the Annual Reception which is in the form of a luncheon, giving the volunteers quality time to meet together socially and share each others company whilst served with a luncheon so beautifully presented by members of the catering staff of the King’s School, Gloucester.
We are delighted this year that Dame Janet Trotter, our retiring Chair and the new Lord Lt of the County will not only host the event, but be our Guest Speaker.
Following the luncheon a presentation of awards to some 36 volunteers, for 5, 10, 15, 20 years of service, who have totalled up in excess of 325 years of service, these medals presented by Dame Janet, in addition two volunteers will be presented with ‘Life Time Awards’ for their long and outstanding dedication working tirelessly and giving some 60 years to the benefit of the Trust.
‘Life Time Awards’ will be presented to:-
OLIVE HOOPER
Olive grew up and was educated in South Wales moving to Somerset when she was 15 years of age. Looking for work, Olive moved to Gloucester during the war years to work at G.A.C where she met her future husband in 1941 and married just one year later.
She has three children, 5 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren, and has for the past 42 years annually flown to Canada to spend a holiday with her son, wife and two grand-daughters who live near London/Ontario. We always wish her well each year as she goes, ‘but so glad to see her back’!
As her children grew up she took weekend work, then leading on to full time work at Whitbreads in Eastern Avenue until she retired, at which time she joined a sewing class where she met a friend who was a volunteer at the hospital – Gill, and so introduced Olive to the Voluntary Service.
Olive realised this was what she was looking for, and since 1981 has been an enthusiastic volunteer and until recent years working two days a week. On starting with the service worked with her friend Gill delivering X-Rays to their respective departments, then serving teas and coffees from the Service Drinks Trolley situated in the Concourse to arranging ward flowers in the Tower Block Wards which she does to this day.
Olive will not mind us saying that in the Spring of last year we celebrated her 90th birthday in true Service style, when some 50 of her volunteer friends welcomed her to a surprise coffee and cake morning on the GRH site – Olive being a true inspiration to us all. Always - positive, cheerful, friendly and caring, a joy for the patients with a true volunteer spirit for us all to follow.
BERYL O’BRIEN
Beryl as a young women was an active volunteer and at the age of 16 became a Red Cross cadet and progressing into an Officer for which she gave 10 years service – and still to this day attends a few meetings a year.
From 1939-1945 served in the City of Gloucester Civil Defence Service for which she received an award for her services, and was employed as a seamstress making uniforms.
Beryl met her future husband after he hitch-hiked down from Glasgow to find work, and of course never returned after meeting and marrying Beryl at the age of 23. She has a son and daughter, two granddaughters, one grandson and 1 great grandson.
When Beryl’s husband died in 1981 she was introduced by her neighbour Bessy Cook to the Voluntary Service at GRH, with the VSM of the time Audrey Robins, who many of you will know. - Shopping and errands for patients and doing the ward flowers working in the ‘old huts’, and moving on into the Tower Block, which she has continued to do to this day.
When Beryl’s partner Bessy died, Beryl partnered Olive and they have been a team ever since.
These ladies come in every Tuesday without fail, continuing their valuable role.
The event is the highlight of the volunteers’ calendar and where members of the Trust Board attend and have the opportunity to thank and, celebrate their success and show appreciation for the time and commitment they give to the Trust.
The volunteers from the combined services of Hospital Volunteers and The Department of Spiritual Care, at GRH, give weekly in excess of 1,500 hours to the benefit of patients and visitors to the hospital, and who always during so many changes in the health service happily move on and readjust to the current need of the ever changing voluntary role. The Services given by these volunteers in some 50 departments continues to thrive, to the benefit of patients and visitors to the hospital.
We all look forward to what we hope will be a happy occasion.
Gay Limbrick
Voluntary Services Manager
25th October 2010