Volunteers celebrated for giving a combined 1500 years of service!

An astonishing 1500 years of service has been celebrated by Bristol’s only adult hospice as it honoured over 150 of its long standing volunteers who have dedicated hours of their time to help support those with life-limiting illnesses in the city.

The annual St Peter’s Hospice Long Service Awards took place at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Bristol City Centre where Casualty and Strictly Come Dancing star Sunetra Sarker handed out awards recognising the unique contributions each volunteer has made in giving up their time to help others in need.

One hundred and fifty-one volunteers were honoured in total with awards given for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service.

Russell Cowan, head of volunteer resources at St Peter’s Hospice, said: “A combined total of nearly 1500 years of committed voluntary service is a mind boggling figure! We are immensely grateful to our remarkable volunteers who continue year in, year out to donate their time, skills and experience, both in our shops and at the hospice.

“Our Long Service Awards recognise and acknowledge in a small way the huge impact volunteers make to quality end of life care for patients and families across Bristol.”

Among the volunteers awarded were those that spend time at the hospice in Brentry, those who help out at the fundraising office and St Peter’s Hospice shop volunteers. Roles include patient contact positions as well as those on reception, within the coffee shop, driving and offering bereavement support.

As Bristol’s only adult hospice, St Peter’s Hospice cares for more than 2,670 patients each year as well as supporting family members.

All services are provided free of charge for patients and their families and this care costs around £19,000 a day. In order to continue providing vital care for the people of Bristol, St Peter’s Hospice relies on donations from fundraising and money generated by the 50 hospice charity shops in Bristol and surrounding districts.

Over 1500 volunteers are signed up to help St Peter’s Hospice but more are always needed. You can contact Russell directly to find out about volunteering roles across the organisation on 0117 915 9448 or email russell.cowan@stpetershospice.org