Evelyn has been a dedicated volunteer following her retirement from working in a hospice. Since joining the charity, she has clocked up 2,000 volunteering hours, leading on dementia-specific support for Royal Free London patients.
Through our dementia companionship volunteer programme, she has trained countless volunteers, equipping them with the skills to provide care and stimulation to patients with dementia or those who are elderly and vulnerable.
Evelyn, who spent the day of the announcement of her honour on the wards of the Royal Free Hospital, said: “I was really amazed to get the reward. I don’t think I am doing anything out of the ordinary.”
Evelyn played a vital role during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the charity’s check-in and chat programme. She made regular phone calls to patients at risk of loneliness and isolation, offering a compassionate listening ear and signposting them to further support when needed. One patient, Angelina, shared: “I had reached rock bottom and Evelyn helped me overcome it. She played such a huge role in my recovery and left a footprint in my heart.”
Evelyn’s contributions extend to the Royal Free London’s ethical biobank review, where she provides valuable feedback on research applications from an ethical perspective.
Jon Spiers, Royal Free Charity chief executive, said: “Evelyn is a familiar face at the Royal Free Hospital and this award will come as no surprise to anyone who has worked alongside her or benefitted from her exceptional care.
“Her dedication to caring for some of our most vulnerable patients, combined with her commitment to mentoring and developing new volunteers, makes her a superb role model for NHS volunteers. We are immensely proud of her.”
This recognition reflects the remarkable impact Evelyn has made, from training volunteers to providing emotional support to patients and contributing to groundbreaking research.
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