Hospice Volunteer Wins Top Award

12 December 2011

Winner Joan receiving her award from Kate Heaps

The accolade recognises Joan’s outstanding contribution to the delivery of health and social care services at the Hospice.  Joan collected her award from Kate Heaps, Chief Executive.

Joan from Dartford joins a total of eight winners across four categories linked to delivering and supporting health and social care services. The categories were Information and Advice, Home Services, Digital Inclusion and Well Being Services. Joan won her award in the Information and Advice category. The awards were judged on the impact the volunteer has made in relation to the person or group of people they have helped.

Vanessa Hill, Volunteers’ Manager at the Hospice said, “I’m so excited about this award – it’s brilliant!  There were four categories and two winners per category so Joan has done really, really well!”

Joan joined the Hospice in 1995 as a volunteer fundraiser and five years later, helped set up a drop-in service called ‘Stepping Stones’ to support patients, their carers, families and the bereaved. Within this service, Joan set up a ‘Helping Hands’ team to provide benefits support and guidance to in and out patients, families and carers. The service has helped hundreds of patients, families, carers and bereaved people over the past 10 years.

Vaness added, "Thanks to Joan’s dedication and hard work, our patients have been able to access benefits they might otherwise have missed.  It’s great that our volunteers are getting the recognition they deserve.”

Commenting on her win, Joan said, “I’m overwhelmed with the news. I’d encourage anyone to volunteer here. There are plenty of things to do and it’s so satisfying and rewarding. I’m really privileged to have had a chance to do this.”

Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice has a dedicated team of almost 600 volunteers working in a variety of roles from charity shop work and fundraising to working directly with patients and their families at the Hospice.  If you are interested in finding out more about volunteering for the Hospice, contact Vanessa Hill on 020 8320 5812.

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