A magnificent 40 years! Volunteer Nikki marks a special anniversary.

Volunteering has been part of Heswall born and bred Nikki Ryder’s life since her sixth form days at West Kirby Grammar School.

Pupils there were encouraged to consider giving some of their free time to good causes and Nikki started off by volunteering, for three days a week after school, at Heswall’s renowned Dale Farm Trust which is a working farm providing supported people with learning and/or physical disabilities meaningful work and opportunities.

Nikki left school in 1984 and continued to volunteer for a year at Dale Farm. In 1985 Nikki started her working career at Wirral based HM Land Registry where she’s worked ever since.

Luckily for Wirral Hospice Nikki’s godmother, Brenda Williamson, was one of the original ward sisters at Wirral Hospice St John’s and with Nikki still wanting to contribute to our Wirral community on top of her working life, Brenda encouraged her to volunteer at the hospice.

One month after starting at HM Land Registry Nikki started volunteering at Wirral Hospice St John’s.

Wow! Forty years of work and forty years of volunteering. Magnificent!

She started supporting the staff team on general/ward duties on a 5pm to 7pm Sunday evening shift, which is nowadays, 4.30pm to 6.30pm.

She loved it straightaway,

“I’ve had thousands of conversations with patients.

People have full and interesting lives and while we’re serving their meals and drinks they’re often happy to share.

The staff team, many of whom I’ve known for years, are all so professional and caring.”

Now, a special part of Nikki’s hospice story is that when her own mum, Ann, retired she joined Nikki as a general duties volunteer in 1994.

They gave their time together for over 20 years. A truly inspirational mother/daughter relationship.

Sadly, Ann passed away only last December and Nikki is understandably tearful when she recalls her mum.

“A brilliant mum in so many ways and our time at the hospice is full of so special memories.”

(Rest in Peace, Ann, your time volunteering for the hospice is also so greatly appreciated).

Nikki still has dad, Alan, and brother Phil, a nurse practitioner in Wirral, while her sister, Amanda, works for an investment company based in Neston.

She’s married to Mike and her grown-up stepchildren, George and Naomi, have made lives in Australia and Canada respectively.

As a keen netballer, Nikki was amazed when she realised that she’d played against her current volunteering shift colleague, Jacqui.

Maybe one or more hospice netball teams could be put together for a friendly? Nikki thinks she’d have to be a supportive coach on the sidelines nowadays.

“Maybe we could raise a temporary netball net in the hospice garden for practice as it appears we have a number of staff and volunteer colleagues who enjoy the game?”

Wing Attack or Goal Defence anybody?”

Whatever transpires with that, Nikki has already scored thousands of great goals for our Wirral Community, and I don’t think there will ever be enough times that we can say Thank You Nikki for your massive, massive, contribution.

Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki, Thank You Nikki…

 Ad infinitum!

If you’d like to volunteer at the hospice or in your community at one of our charity shops follow the links at www.wirralhospice.org/volunteering or email volunteering@wirralhospice.org or call 0151 334 2778 and ask for volunteer services