Interviewer

So could I ask your name?

Jenny Davies

Jenny Davies.

Interviewer

And which league of Friends do you work for?

Jenny Davies

The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Interviewer

Thank you. And could I ask how old you are, Jenny?

Jenny Davies

70. Just

Interviewer

Thank you. Looking good.

Jenny Davies

Thank you.

Interviewer

So are you a local lady? Have you always lived around here? How has your life gone?

Jenny Davies

Just local to Shrewsbury. I live in Shrewsbury now. I just love Shrewsbury.

Interviewer

Good. And did you work locally? Do you have family locally? How’s that been for you?

Jenny Davies

Yes,  I’ve had two children. They are grown up and flown the nest now.

Interviewer

So could I ask what brought you into volunteering at the hospital?

Jenny Davies

I’ve got problems with my health, and I’ve had such good treatment I wanted to say thank you for, and I’m still on my arm treatment. And the treatment I’ve had in the past has been superb. At Gobowen and other the Royal Shrewsbury. It’s been wonderful.

Interviewer

So how long ago did you start volunteering?

Jenny Davies

15 years ago.

Interviewer

Okay. And have you done the same thing across that 15 years or have you done

Jenny Davies

Yes, the same thing. And what do you do serving customers? Getting to know them, getting them drinks or savouries or sandwiches.

Interviewer

And you get to know customers quite well?

Jenny Davies

Yes. I’m quite a friendly person I suppose. You know, you get awkward customers, don’t you? But we try our best.

Interviewer

And how often are you in here, in the shop?

Jenny Davies

Tuesday, Wednesdays and Fridays

Interviewer

Busy.

Jenny Davies

Wednesday of an afternoon I start at two and finish at five.

Interviewer

And what hours are the shops open here?

Jenny Davies

They open seven days a week, Saturday and Sundays at 10 am until 4 pm and from Mondays they’re open from 9.00am until 7.00pm

Interviewer

Okay. So long hours.

Jenny Davies

Yes, because it’s all split up with different shifts, you know, I do a two till five, which is long enough.

Interviewer

Absolutely.  And do you have lots of volunteers here?

Jenny Davies

Yes.  I think we are about 80 I think, at the moment.

Interviewer

Okay. And do you always work on the same shift with people?

Jenny Davies

I do, yes.

Interviewer

So have you all become friends?

Jenny Davies

Yes, which is nice. And you get to know them and it’s lovely, and it gets you out of the house.

 

Interviewer

So when we were talking just before we started recording, you’ve also got involved in fundraising as well? Tell me about that.

Jenny Davies

I organised a couple of auctions for the League of Friends and raised over a thousand pounds each time I did it.

Interviewer

So what sort of things do you auction?

Jenny Davies

Anything, Household items,  and we get an auctioneer to come in, and sell them off.

Interviewer

And do you do it here on the hospital site?

Jenny Davies

Just outside Shrewsbury, near Montford Bridge. You’d probably come through that way.

Interviewer

So did you have knowledge of auctioning beforehand? What got you into that?

Jenny Davies

I’ve always done a bit of buying, and selling. I go around car boots finding stuff, and selling them on.

Interviewer

So do you help to collect some of the bits that were auctioned?

Jenny Davies

I did, yes. And people donated the stuff for me too.

Interviewer

Okay. And have you done any other fundraising?

Jenny Davies

Raffles? I’ve organised, the last one I did raised £469. That was a Christmas one, and the other two I did were £390, £380.

Interviewer

Excellent.

Jenny Davies

And that all comes back into the helping somebody out there.

Interviewer

And do you have a team of volunteers that help you do the raffles, and the auctions ?

Jenny Davies

The young girl who’s coming in, Sally, she came, and did the refreshments at the auction.

Interviewer

That’s good. So if I was to ask you if you’ve got any favourite memory of anything you’ve either been to or a person that you’ve been involved with here, what would you say is something which really sticks in your mind as being something which has made volunteering really enjoyable for you?

Jenny Davies

I do really enjoy doing what I’m doing, and I very rarely have any sick leave or anything like that. Touch wood. I just enjoy doing what I do.

Interviewer

Excellent. So when you knew you were coming to speak to me today, was there anything you wanted to tell me that you haven’t had the chance to say yet?

Jenny Davies

I did get an award.

Interviewer

What was it?

Jenny Davies

Last year, a couple of years ago, Camilla and Charles.

Interviewer

Okay, so this is the Platinum Champions Award? So part of the Queens Award?  And you went also to the Platinum Party at the Palace?

Jenny Davies

I did, yes. It was lovely.

Interviewer

So what was that like?

Jenny Davies

Very nice. It was lovely.

Interviewer

So I have no idea what that would, be like was it outside? Inside?

Jenny Davies

It was outside. It was an all seated area but you could walk around.

Interviewer

And that was at Buckingham Palace?

Jenny Davies

At Buckingham Palace. And the next day we were at the Lord’s Cricket Ground where we met Charles and Camilla.

Interviewer

Lovely. So did you get near them?

Jenny Davies

I was closer to Camilla and Charles was the other side of the road. But I saw them.

Interviewer

That’s  the bit though, isn’t it? It’s nice.

Jenny Davies

Yes.

Interviewer

To be in their glow.

Jenny Davies

It’s nice being out there that people come up to us, and say, “thank you very much for all you are doing. And you obviously enjoy doing what you’re doing”

Interviewer

Excellent. Can I say thank you very much for your time today. Thank you for coming in. It’s been lovely to meet you. Thank you.