THREE Warrnambool Base Hodsital volunteers who have been officially recognised for their combined 66 years of service can’t remember a day being bored.
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Margaret Agnew has been helping in the palliative care wing for 26 years, Ann Glennon has been a regular face at the hospital library for 22 years and Veronica Cuzens has been a fund-raiser with the Woolsthorpe auxiliary for 18 years.
Their dedication was celebrated at this week’s annual meeting of South West Healthcare when they were awarded life governorships.
For Ms Agnew her role in helping patients with cancer started when she was caring for her mother who died in 1985.
“They asked me if I’d like to join the palliative care team and I’ve been with them since,” she told The Standard.
“You help people in hard times and happy times. It’s very rewarding.”
She has provided one-on-one support to patients and their families, provides administrative support for data collection and trains volunteers.
Ms Glennon said she had worked in the TAFE library and wanted to help out at the hospital while Ms Cuzens said she became involved when asked by friends to help with fund-raising by the Woolsthorpe community.
She and other auxiliary members have turned out hundreds of yo-yo biscuits in her kitchen.
Recently retired South West Healthcare board member Francis Broekman was presented with an appreciation certificate for his nine years’ service. “It was something I felt I could do and offered my services,” he said.
“My time on the board has been rewarding personally and professionally. The hospital is an extremely complex system — a $100 million organisation with about 1000 staff.”