Stories of volunteers supporting the health service since 1949
20 results
Friends of One Tower Bridge RoadThe Friends of One Tower Bridge Road supports residents of the One Tower Bridge Road care home through developing services on site. These services allow those who cannot leave their homes to feel included in community activities. The Friends provide ...
Valerie Semeria, Friends of Attend ABI Valerie Semeria, 30, is the Chair of Friends of Attend ABI. She grew up volunteering in her church and local homeless shelters, and eventually pursued the field as a career path after she moved to London in 2016. She then started volunteering with At...
Diana came to the Friends, following a period as Lead Governor at the hospital. Her vision is of local leadership for a hospital meeting local needs.Rather than be frozen into inactivity by Covid, it inspired the Friends to think about their contribu...
Marigold Cleveley, Friends of The Royal London Hospital for Integrated MedicinePersonal convictions, and those of her friends, meant that Marigold first found herself volunteering nearly 50 years to support Homeopathic medicine, and those in the community wanting to access such services. Throwing herself into the commu...
Lorna Citron, Friends of UCLHStarting work at UCH in 1945, and being continuously involved with the hospital since then, Lorna clearly has a deep-rooted love of the hospital and the community it serves. Her administrative skills were seized upon to support the developing ro...
Gillian Vaughan Hudson MBBS FRCP, League of Friends of Middlesex Hospital & Friends of University College London Hospital (UCLH)Following a full career in the NHS in central London, as retirement approaches, the League of Friends at the Middlesex sought Gillian out. Her role required great diplomacy as it involved the creation of the new shadow board for the Friends merging w...
Anita Carrasco, Friends of St Mary’sAnita first began volunteering when she was at school. Conversations with her support worker on ways to reduce her loneliness bought her to volunteering at St Marys. It has proved to be a place of true friendship, where Anita has got involved in eve...
Maggie Linford, Friends of St Mary’sMaggie had a life of supporting people through her careers as a social worker and an occupational therapist. Once retired, she continued to make a difference in her community through volunteering. When she joined the Friends of St Mary’...
Returning from time abroad, when getting involved in the community was a part of everyday life, Cynthia found herself with time on her hands. A lifelong supporter of homeopathy meant the League of Friends at the then “Royal London Homeopathic Hos...
Homeopathy, its values, and lifestyle have always been important to Sato. It's impacted not only her lifestyle, but also her career choices and now her volunteering. Her passion for complementary medicine is as infectious, as her knowledge abou...
As a great grand-daughter of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, it could have felt inevitable that Jenny Loehnis would find herself as Chairman of the League of Friends. As it was, she did inherit the role from her Aunt and was pleased to continue the fa...
Sue Rivers, Friends of St Mary’sAs the wife of a hospital consultant, Sue almost had no choice but to get involved with the Friends. Becoming Chairman near the turn of the decade, she has thoroughly involved herself in all aspects from fundraising to helping out in the café. She ...
Shenna Cummins, Friends of St Mary’s HospitalShenna decided to volunteer when she had some spare time because she wasn’t working. Her warmth, and people skills meant her natural contribution was focussed towards fundraising. This, she not only enjoyed but is very good at. Unexpectedly, v...
Udo Bauer, Friends of St Mary’sFor over 25 years, Udo has been based at the German YMCA, and creating links with the local community, including the Friends of St Mary’s. Volunteers have been involved in all sorts of activities including the café and shop. ...
The Guild of the Royal Hospital of St BartholomewThe Guild of St Bartholomew’s is a group of volunteers established to ‘help the Hospital by personal service and by the provision of such amenities for the patients, staff, and students that would not be available for them under the NHS.’ While...
Richard Rooney, Friends of Chelsea and WestminsterRichard was looking for a change in his life. Having retired from an all-consuming and demanding career, he wanted to do something that not only made a difference to his life but made a difference to others too. At the Chelsea and Westminster,...
Clare Johnstone, Friends of Chelsea and WestminsterWhile on a visit to the Chelsea & Westminster hospital for an outpatient appointment, on the stairs, Clare was suddenly struck with the thought “why don’t I do something for this wonderful hospital”.Over 10 years later she is regularly vo...
Ian McDowell, Guild Of St BartholomewHospital chaplaincy, as a local vicar, first brought Ian into the world of hospital volunteering. This interest developed, including becoming a hospital voluntary services manager and became involved in a policy group in Whitehall. Initially involve...
Ann Wickham, Guild of St BartholomewWhen Ann’s husband became a doctor at Barts, it was part of the natural order that she become a member of the Guild. This was in the mid 1960’s and she has been involved constantly since then. While currently the President, over the years Ann ha...
Jan O’Neill, Guild Of St BartholomewJan volunteered initially alongside a successful career in journalism. She has bought her professional skills in to her volunteering, and now produces the newsletter. However, she was drawn to volunteering because she was interested in support...