Hull Hospitals Celebrate Volunteers, 83-Year-Old Jean Walker Honored

Hospitals in Hull recently held an awards ceremony and dinner to acknowledge the contributions of their volunteers. According to NHS managers, Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital collectively engage over 500 volunteers, who have contributed a total of 23,400 hours this year. The awards were presented to the most inspiring volunteers, based on feedback received from patients. Jean Walker, 83, was awarded the “back from retirement” honor, having returned to volunteer work after a 56-year career as a nurse. She remarked, “I do this for the love of it.” Ms. Walker officially retired at the age of 73, after spending the final 40 years of her career in the emergency department at Hull Royal. Not long after her retirement, she returned to A&E as a volunteer, a place where she felt she belonged. “Having been a nurse myself for so long, it really helps as I understand the pressures the teams are under.” She elaborated on her duties: “I help wherever I can, stocking up technically for them, making drinks for visitors and doing the jobs staff don’t have time to, to allow them to spend more time caring for patients.” Ms. Walker indicated that she attends her shifts even when experiencing “aches or pains” because she could not “imagine doing anything else.” Volunteer Denis Lockwood and his cockerpoo Barney received a “Pawesome Pooch” award for dedicating the most hours to visiting patients in the hospitals. Barney is one of 11 therapy dogs that visit Hull Royal and Castle Hill, and they have been commended for their “miraculous” positive impact on patients’ wellbeing. Julie Marshall, who manages a mobile shop at Castle Hill and has generated over £4,000 this year, was also recognized. Graham Gedney, who has been volunteering since 2002, earned an award for “going above and beyond.” He supports the emergency department by conducting surveys and spending time with patients and their families. Mr. Gedney stated that volunteering helps “to keep the brain and body ticking over.” He added, “It makes it all worthwhile when people say thank you, and tell you you’ve made a difference for them.” Rachael Hardcastle-Pearce, who oversees the volunteers, noted that opportunities exist for younger individuals aiming to advance their studies or career aspirations, as well as for older people seeking to remain active or continue utilizing skills developed during their careers. She emphasized that the volunteers provide invaluable support to staff, asserting that the hospitals would be “lost” without them.