More than 80 volunteers from Watford, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans hospitals took a break this week to attend a special thank you lunch.

The event allows the Trust Board and staff from across the hospitals to acknowledge and celebrate the continued commitment of around 500 volunteers who range from 18 to over 90 years of age, that collectively provide more than 1,500 hours of their own time every week.

The volunteers do a huge variety of jobs, including driving patients to and from their hospital appointments, supporting the League of Friends tea bars and helping out on wards, reception desks and information centres, for instance the Macmillan Cancer Support centre at Watford Hospital.

Chief Executive Jac Kelly attended the celebratory lunch with Chair Mahdi Hasan and Deputy Director of Nursing Tracy Moran.

Eleven volunteers were presented with awards for long service, including one who has volunteered for 50 years. Watford Hospital Radio received a special thank you with two of their volunteers being given awards for 30 years long service.

Mahdi Hasan, Trust Chair said: “Volunteers are absolutely integral to our hospitals and I would like to personally thank every single one of them for their invaluable support. It was my huge privilege to say a special thank you to a lady who has volunteered at our hospitals for 50, yes, 50 years.

“During 2014, our wonderful volunteers donated a staggering 80,000 hours of time and for that, we are extremely grateful.

“They help to make the experience of coming to our hospitals more enjoyable for our patients and visitors which is deeply appreciated by everyone who comes into contact with them.

“This annual lunch is a very small token of thanks for a very big contribution the volunteers make in our hospitals over St Albans, Hemel Hempstead and Watford.”

Alice Wear is 95 years old and has clocked up 50 years of voluntary service.

She said: “My 50 years association with the Hemel Hempstead Hospital League of Friends Committee has gone extremely quickly.

“I’m proud to have been part of a team who’ve secured a portfolio of equipment for the hospital over the years including artwork, wheelchairs, pot plants and tape recorders for the speech therapy department.

“It’s great to see the patients benefiting from our fundraising especially the smaller items of patient comfort which are so appreciated. Little things make all the difference when you are in hospital.”

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact Chadwick Livingstone, Voluntary Services Coordinator on 01923 217 307.