Within six months of meeting on Valentine’s Day 1969, we were already doing our first fundraising event together and we’ve been supporting numerous charities ever since.
We started supporting North Bristol NHS Trust when we moved to Bristol in 1984. We began by raising money for the Renal Unit at Southmead Hospital before getting involved with the Friends of Frenchay. Graham became a Move Maker in 2014 and, from there, we both began volunteering for the Charity.
We both lean on the NHS. We’ve seen the Stroke team at their best recently in the treatment of a friend and our beautiful granddaughter was born at Southmead Hospital. It’s a constant in our lives. The way our hospitals have dealt so heroically with the coronavirus pandemic has only further highlighted why a strong local NHS is so important.
Volunteering for the Charity means that we’re able to make a positive contribution to our community and be there for our wonderful NHS staff. It’s a joy to give our time and to see the difference a few simple words and acts of kindness can make to people.
Every day of volunteering is a fresh challenge! We get involved in bake sales and book sales in the atrium at Southmead Hospital, work with performers for The Great Bristol Buskathon, support the Charity team in the office and much more. The most rewarding part is that we get to meet patients and staff and get instant feedback on the difference we help to make.
The last 50 years of volunteering and fundraising have brought us purpose and we have no intention of slowing down. From the start of our volunteering with the Charity, we have felt appreciated and the team ensures that we’re always supported.
If you want to give back to your local NHS in Bristol, volunteering is an enjoyable way to do it. What may seem like a small contribution is actually incredibly valuable. It’s continually rewarding, we’ve made so many friends along the way and we’re looking forward to the next opportunity to help out. We hope you can join us and share our good fortune!
If you’re interested in finding out more about volunteering for the Charity, please contact Hannah.
