Interviewer

Could we start first of all, by asking your name?

 

Sue Rivers

Yes. Sue Rivers.

 

Interviewer

And could I ask which volunteer group you’re associated with?

 

Sue Rivers

St. Mary’s Hospital.

 

Interviewer

And could I ask your age?

 

Sue Rivers

You could, and I could lie, but I will say 75, which is the truth.

 

Interviewer

Well, it’s lovely to meet you. So what first inspired you to get involved with the friends group?

 

Sue Rivers

I have spent all my working life in the St. Mary’s Group of Hospitals – firstly at Paddington Green Children’s Hospital and then from 1969 at St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School where I worked as a Secretary/Administrator in the Department of Paediatrics. The Head of that Department was Professor Tom Oppe and he had a really delightful wife called Margaret who was incredibly capable. She became Chairman of The Friends and in those days the Committee was usually made up of the wives of consultants. I was very fond of her and when in 1985, I married one of the other doctors in the department she said that I should join The Friends and come on the Committee. And I did, because one didn’t disobey Margaret!

 

Sue Rivers

As I was still working at that time, I didn’t get very involved with Committee matters until I retired in 2002 when Margaret was again Chairman. She said to me “Look here, you’ve retired and will have nothing to do so you must become Chairman after me”. So I said “OK but could I have 6 months off and start in January 2003?” She agreed and that is how I became so involved.

 

Interviewer

Okay. So you were highlighted, and found, as someone that was needed by the Friends group?

 

Sue Rivers

Yes, I think slightly in desperation, but yes I was.

 

Interviewer

And do you have any recollection of the sorts of things that the Friends Group was doing then?

 

Sue Rivers

We were doing what we’ve always done. We had a café, we had a shop, we had a flower shop in Norfolk Place and we had a tea bar kiosk over at Western Ophthalmic Hospital. Those were our bases and they were the places our volunteers were deployed. We had Flag Days, and we had a Christmas Bazaar which was our main fundraising event. We sold Christmas cards which we still do but the shop, café and flower shop were all thriving then.

 

Interviewer

And where did the Christmas bazaar happen?

 

Sue Rivers

Where did it happen? I think my first memories were that it used to take place in Salton House which was the old Nurses’ Home. After that we used the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother building and occupied the hall, the 2nd floor corridor and part of the restaurant, also on the second floor. So we had 3 sites and it was pretty good. Then the restaurant was removed and that space was turned into a clinical department rendering it unavailable. When that happened there was little point staying in the 2nd floor corridor so we had to think again.

 

Sue Rivers

I remember clearly doing the Tombola stall in the 2nd floor corridor opposite the lifts where patients would be wheeled up to Theatre on the 4th floor. One lovely chap who was partially anaesthetized was being taken to Theatre when he spotted the Tombola. “Get me a ticket love” he said “and I’ll collect the prize when I come back”. “Fair enough” said I – and we did exactly that. That’s the sort of thing that made it so special. But of course we lost all that when we could no longer use the restaurant. We were also very lucky with the catering staff who were unfailingly helpful.

After that finished, we decided to use the space outside the hospital, as well as the hall. In November being outside is chilly but one of our Vice Presidents has been incredibly supportive over this and has very good contacts with a local estate agent who have provided large gazebos and heating. The arrangement worked well but this was all pre Covid.

Interviewer

And you talked about flag days as well?

 

Sue Rivers

We used to have several Flag Days a year and still have them on Paddington Station. We used to have what we called a “Street Day” which is where you stand outside, say, Marks and Spencers with your tin. We did Marylebone Station a couple of times but Paddington is our main one and that has worked well. We had one about a month ago and it was quite good but people don’t tend to carry cash these days. Because of this we have a staffed table with a card machine which is quite popular. It is almost more important from a publicity point of view so that people are aware of the Friends’ existence.

 

Interviewer

Do you think we have fewer volunteers now than in years gone by or are numbers about the same

 

Sue Rivers

I think we have fewer than we did – people get old sadly. But we get enough to make it a viable outing.

Interviewer

So that was a lovely story about the chap going on for surgery. I have to say I really, I could envisage that perfectly. <laugh> Do you have any other stories that particularly you remember about your seeing the Friends working in the hospital?

 

Sue Rivers

There is one occasion that really sticks in my mind. I took over the buying and organization of selling Christmas cards. You have to buy them early and you have to organize a selling team. One day I was sitting at my table in the foyer with a pretty comprehensive (as I thought) list of designs. And I am always to grateful to anyone who buys them. A lady came up and asked “have you got a card with a camel on it?”. “Oh” I said “I don’t know”. I looked and said that I didn’t have a camel but I could come up with a donkey.

 

Sue Rivers

”No, no, no” she said “I definitely want a camel”. “Well I’m terribly sorry” I replied “but I haven’t got any camels”. So she said “But I thought the three wise men came on camels didn’t they?” and I said “yes they did but they didn’t get as far as Paddington”. We had a laugh about it and it transpired that she wanted a camel because her nephew was dressing up as a camel in the school’s nativity play and she wanted to show him what one looked like.

 

Interviewer

So it’s so lots and lots of engagement with the local community realistically. Yes, yes. As part of that process.

 

Sue Rivers

Yes, Yes.

 

Interviewer

Yes. Which is lovely it and, and I think there’s a real bond that friends groups sometimes have with their local community, and the people that come around. So, COVID, it’s been a bit of a shock to all of us, realistically.

 

Sue Rivers

Indeed.

 

Interviewer

Indeed. And how do you think it’s affected the Friends group?

 

Sue Rivers

It’s affected them very severely because our main income always came from the shop and that has gone now. It’s very sad as that and the café were our public faces. But, as I say, both are now gone. The Western Eye kiosk has also been closed.

Interviewer

So do you think there’s still going to be a role for the friends group moving forwards?

 

Sue Rivers

Yes I think so. We are hoping to get another site somewhere in the hospital where we can display our wares. And certainly, with regard to Christmas cards and diaries, the shop – which is now run by the Trust – will take them at Christmas so that is helpful. But it is not the same as having your own retail space.

When I stopped being Chairman I used to work in the café every Thursday morning and one gets to know the patients, some of whom are nervous about their appointments. This was the same in the shop and we found that patients greatly appreciated a friendly word and a smile. We had the time to have a chat and perhaps a laugh.

 

Sue Rivers

As I said, people might be worried and in the café we’d provide tea and home-made sandwiches which were always so appreciated. The shop, too, was a wonderful place. It sold all sort of things and I always felt that if you went in and asked for a pair of red shoes in a size 6 they would be produced! There was one lady who came to the café and as I was serving her the phone rang. One of the paid staff was about to answer it when I called out ”if that’s George Clooney again you can tell him I’m busy”. And this sweet lady I was serving called out “I’m not”!

 

Sue Rivers

But you see, this is just a bit of fun that, and you can’t put that into words really?

Interviewer

No. And, and of course with volunteers, we’ve always had the time potentially to have a bit more time with people than exactly we’ve got with Costa, who’ve got, you know, lots of money to make and…

 

Sue Rivers

Yes – it’s a very different atmosphere with The Friends. But I enjoyed it tremendously – we all did. Everyone who helped in whatever capacity loved it.

 

Interviewer

And, and really, I think you’ve answered my next question, because I was going say, if somebody was thinking about volunteering today, why would you recommend the friends?

 

Sue Rivers

Well it’s very difficult isn’t it? Difficult to spot that difference between ordinary volunteers, who are great, against people who belong to an organization that has been specifically set up to improve the experience of patients (and help staff) . There is a genuine desire to make people’s lives a little easier and there is tremendous loyalty to the institution. I just feel The Friends have that extra something but it’s hard to define.

 

Interviewer

I think as part of your story, what you’ve described to me is actually you’ve had a career of loyalty to the health service, which has now turned into a retirement of loyalty through the friends. And, that’s just lovely to hear. So when you were thinking about possibly talking to me today, did you have anything that you wanted to tell me that you haven’t had the chance to say yet?

 

Sue Rivers

No. I don’t think so. I was interested that you wanted to talk to me as well as seeing Maggie and Walter. I just wish I could tell you that the shop and café were still open, but I can’t.

 

Interviewer

Well, we, we are looking for a brighter future then. Exactly. And thank you ever so much for your time today. My, it’s been been great. Thank you.