Hospice volunteers honoured

VOLUNTEERS from Rotherham Hospice held a party to celebrate their win at the Community Achievement Awards.

Joanne Huckett, chief officer of the Rotherham Hospice Trust, said: "Our volunteers are often resistant to accepting praise.

"Receiving a community award has been a bit of a shock to those many volunteers who do not seek nor ask for recognition of the time and energy they give.

"They perform their duties quietly and with great commitment to support patients and hospice services through their fund-raising roles.

"The volunteer service is the element which makes the Rotherham Hospice so uniquely individual and irreplaceable."

The hospice currently has 270 volunteers who last year, gave more than 33,000 hours of help and support.

They work in the four charity shops, on the hospice's reception and tea bar as well as directly with day patients, inpatients and their families. Volunteers also give their time to help fund-raising, planning and delivering events and activities.