A special Christmas thank you meal was served for Stepping Hill Hospital’s hard working volunteers, with awards being presented to some of those who have served the longest.

Twenty-seven long-serving volunteers received certificates and award badges for their service from Professor Tony Warne, Chair, and Karen James OBE, Chief Executive, of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust which runs the hospital.

Each of the volunteers had served either five, ten or fifteen years volunteering at the hospital, making for a total of over two hundred years of dedicated service. One volunteer has served even longer than the rest of them. Alan Nabb has been serving as a volunteer at the hospital for a grand total of twenty years, firstly helping on the Bobby Moore cancer unit, and now as a guide,  where aged 88 he is still happily greeting and guiding visitors to the hospital each week.

Along with those receiving awards, many other volunteers also enjoyed a Christmas lunch served with all the trimmings, cooked and served by the trust’s award-winning catering team. A choir and band of students from Aquinas College were present, singing carols to entertain the volunteers.

Over two hundred volunteers work at the trust in a number of wards and departments, working in a variety of different roles.  These include guides such as Alan, helping out on wards at mealtimes, carrying out experience surveys, serving in the hospital’s shops and supporting mothers with breastfeeding. Volunteers with pet visit wards to help patients calm and relax.

Many volunteers are retired, and during the COVID-19 lockdown period many volunteers had to stay away from the hospital site to protect both their own health and that of others. Thankfully many have now returned to once more give their time and commitment.

Professor Tony Warne, Chair of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust said “Volunteers perform an absolutely function at Stepping Hill Hospital, giving their free time to offer a much-needed helping hand for our staff, visitors and patients alike. It’s a real pleasure to honour those who have given so many years of dedication and commitment, and to see them all enjoy a great much-deserved Christmas meal from our fantastic catering team too.”  

Although many volunteers have returned to the site, numbers are still less than they were before the pandemic, and the voluntary service department is keen for new recruits to join. If you think you may be interested in the being a volunteer, then visit the ‘volunteer’ section of the website at www.stockport.nhs.uk , e-mail voluntaryservices@stockport.nhs.uk or call 0161 419 5400.