Order of Mercy

Five volunteers from Attend member groups this month received the Order of Mercy in recognition of their outstanding voluntary efforts in hospitals.

Mrs Judith Coode, Mr Alan Finch, Mrs Pauline Hirst, Mrs Barbara Wallace and Mrs Suzette Woodier received the prestigious award at the Mansion House, London on 8^th July 2013.

The Order of Mercy is a Victorian award made every year by the League of Mercy Foundation, which was established in 1899 to build a body of voluntary workers to assist with the maintenance of voluntary hospitals. When the 1948 National Health Act abolished these hospitals, the League was quietly wound up but their Order of Mercy award lives on to recognise contributions by volunteers in hospitals across the UK.

This year 21 awards were given, including the five to the Attend member volunteers who had between them volunteered for well over 100 years!

Mrs Barbara Wallace, at 85, has been a member of the League of Friends of Glan Clwdd League of Friends, Bodelwyddan for 30 years and was twice the Chairman. She organizes the RVS rotas, the Friend’s tea bar and shop, masterminds the raffles and sales and manages to raise £200,000 each year.

Mrs Suzette Woodier joined the Friends of the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, in 2001 and soon became a committee member. She was the hostess in charge of refreshments at the Sunrise Centre for Chemotherapy and Ratiotherapy.

Mrs  Judith Coode has volunteered for 40 years for the Mermaid Breast Cancer Appeal, the Cornwall Health Council, the Elizabeth Finn Charity, the Children’s Clinic and her parish council. For 30 years the Friends of Bodmin Hospital have greatly benefitted from the numerous activities she has organised.

Mr Alan Finch was put forward for the award by the League of Friends of Southampton Eye Unit because of his exceptional and long-standing leadership of the 30 volunteers who organize many activities for the benefit of patients. They fundraise for vital and expensive new equipment.

Mrs Pauline Hirst was nominated by the Guild of St Bartholomew’s Hospital in Smithfield that she joined in 1973. She first volunteered in the shop and trolley services, then became the organiser for Flag Days, helped to arrange and accompany outings for the elderly out-patients to the seaside and helped with fairs, concerts and sales of cards.