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Friends Voices

Stories of volunteers supporting the health service since 1949

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7 results

Pauline Smith, Business Opportunities for the Physically Handicapped (BOPH)

After a difficult childhood in East London, Pauline has been working and then volunteering with disabled children, and disabled adults all of her life, as a social worker but also in multiple charities, before ending up in BOPH, where she has been fo...

Story: Pauline Smith - Canvey Island, Essex

Simon Jenkins, League of Friends of Glangwili Hospital

When Simon's mother passed away, he decided he would carry on with her involvement with the League of Friends by becoming a volunteer himself. After a long career as a firefighter, he already had knowledge of community services, and involvement, whic...

Story: Simon Jenkins - Glangwili, Wales

Pamela Morton OBE, Friends of York Hospitals

At an early age Pam began volunteering to help refugees, at the end of the Second World War. Those values were to stay with her, not only in her career as a teacher but also through the many different volunteering initiatives she enthusiastically emb...

Story: - York

Josephine (Jo) Geary, Business Opportunities for the Physically Handicapped (BOPH)

Founder of BOPH with Joan Lythgoe, MBE, Jo was first involved with people with disabilities when her daughter was born paralysed from the waist down and, when pushed by Joan, she joined her in starting a charity that would be a free workshop for phys...

Story: Josephine (Jo) Geary - Canvey Island, Essex

Ruth Joyce, Friends of King George Hospital

Ruth's faith is an important part of her life, and it has led to a lifetime of volunteering in her community. On retirement, this began to include volunteering in the local hospital, particularly in the shop.Ruth's skills were recognised, and she bec...

Story: Ruth Joyce - Essex, Goodmayes

Elaine Tinsley, The League of Friends, The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital

An early career in the hospital meant Elaine always felt an affinity to it. On retirement she began volunteering, which turned in to a new career in the finance office. Elaine describes the League of Friends as feeling like a 'family', with the hu...

Story: Elaine Tinsley - Oswestry, Shropshire

Lynn Sommerville, Ealing Hospital League of Friends

Following a full and rewarding career in probation work, Lynn found herself at retirement age, but she wasn’t ready to stop, and still felt she had something to offer. Having used the Friends Cafe while visiting the hospital, she asked if there wer...

Story: Lynn Sommerville - West London