John Vickery receives Lord Mayor of Bristol Medal

John joined the Southmead Hospital League of Friends in 1996 having been a Police Officer for 32 years in the Bristol area, retiring as the Community Sergeant at Southmead Police Station.

He was awarded the MBE for his community work in the area, over and above that as a police officer, in 1996.

In 1999 he became a committee member and three years later the chairman, a position he still holds. He was instrumental in employing a paid shop manger which greatly improved the service and takings. In 2006 he became the Volunteer representative to the Trust, liaising with the Trust and the builders Carillion, for the new hospital and securing a space for a League coffee shop,

attending numerous meetings at the highest level. He became the Avon Association chairman a position he held for ten years until it was disbanded in 2013. During this time he was the South West Regional chairman for a year, standing down to concentrate on his role as the Southmead chairman and the extra work involved in the move into the new hospital.

Outside of his League of Friends work he was a volunteer for the Ambulance car service using his own car to take people to and from hospital. He is now a volunteer driver for a local community transport group taking people to doctor and hospital appointments, shopping trips and similar outings.