Decades of compassion: Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust celebrates its volunteers

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust is proud of the 350 volunteers who give their time freely to support patients, families and colleagues. Over the last year, an incredible 30,000 hours were gifted.

17 dedicated volunteers were recently honoured at a special Long Service Awards ceremony at Wakefield Town Hall, recognising between five and 35 years of service.
This special annual ceremony was held at Wakefield Town Hall and awards were presented by Councillor Maureen Tennant-King, Mayor of Wakefield. This was the perfect opportunity to thank volunteers supporting Pontefract and Pinderfields hospitals for their unwavering commitment, following a fantastic celebration in Dewsbury last year.

Among the honourees is Charlie Keith who has achieved an incredible 35 years of service, with much of his volunteering for the Trust’s hospital radio station and MY Hospitals Charity. Charlie’s long-standing commitment, compassion and enthusiasm, has brought a lot of comfort, connection and joy to patients over the years.

When asked about highlights from his time at the Trust so far, Charlie said:

“One of the nicest things I’ve done is support the Children’s Burns Unit. It was amazing to host discos and give children and their families an opportunity to enjoy themselves and take a break. People would come to me and say, ‘How much do I owe you to do that?’ and I would say ‘You owe me nothing because if you wanted something doing, I’d run there’.”

“I also work heavily with MY Hospitals Charity to make sure it has a high profile because people want to show their generosity and support. There’s a lot of people out there who want to give something back and volunteering is an avenue to do that.”

In welcoming volunteers to the event, Keith Ramsay, Chair of Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, said:

“The amazing thing about our volunteers is they come from every part of our communities in the Wakefield and Kirklees District. Every one of you brings something special - not just your skills, experience and character, but also your compassion and kindness.

“What you give can’t be measured in money and the gift of time and your personalities really is priceless for our hospitals and community services. You provide immeasurable comfort to our patients, their families, and our staff.”

To learn more about volunteering for Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust and read volunteer stories, please visit www.midyorks.nhs.uk/volunteering.