A hospice volunteer of 25+ years who retired in 2010 popped in to say Hello!

Margaret (left) with Lady Jean Stoddart (then hospice President)

Having seen some of the publicity surrounding the hospice’s 40^th anniversary celebrations, Margaret Ellison brought some of her photos from her own twenty-five years long service award event for us to see.

Margaret (left) with hospice cook Margie

Margaret was around from the very early days of the hospice, volunteering for shifts after her day’s work at her full-time job at Unilever research was done.

General duties, serving patients with their meals, snacks and refreshments was her first volunteering role and then she also took on reception duties for many years.

In 2009 Margaret was recognised for 25 years’ service when the then hospice President, Lady Jean Stoddart, presented the awards. Margaret remembers a wonderful day and feeling a real sense of achievement.

It was only a couple of years later that Margaret had major heart surgery and started to take things a little easier.

She was the middle child of seven and nowadays her own three daughters, Karen, Angela and Julie have children and grandchildren of their own. So Margaret is nan to her six grandchildren and a great grandmother to a further six children. Wow!

She’s 86 now and tells us her weekly yoga classes with Wirral Age UK help to keep her sharp and sprightly.

She still loves the hospice and supports Light up a Life every year in memory of family members.

On the day she visits she’s greeted by hospice cook (of over 32 years herself), Margie Connor, who remembers her namesake well and they have a lovely chat about those halcyon days.

It’s lovely to know that people from the heart of our community hold the hospice in such affection having played their own important part in our 40-year history.

That’s people like Margaret, to whom we say the most sincere THANK YOU!