Hospice Volunteers are celebrated for their long service to the Charity

• 21 November 2025

Over 600 volunteers, generously and selflessly give their time to support people in Cambridgeshire living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end of life care with Arthur Rank Hospice Charity.

Colleagues and Chair of Trustees, Antionette Jackson, celebrated some of them at the Long Service Awards evening held in the Education and Conference Centre at the Hospice.

Among those receiving certificates for five, ten, fifteen and twenty years service were some extra special volunteers! Rosemary Hall, who has gifted her time, to support people cared for by the Charity, for over 40 years and Mick Pocock and Graham Hambling who received Knighthoods earlier this year.

Rosemary first volunteered in 1985 after she witnessed the care given to her Dad and family. She started as a Tea Bar Volunteer and has since supported making meals for visitors in the old Hospice, as a Meet and Greeter and serving afternoon Tea in the Inpatient Unit, making art packs for the Living Well Service patients, leading craft sessions in Arthur’s Shed, a Caring Communities Volunteer, supporting the Education and Conference Centre, volunteering in the Bistro and as a Charity Ambassador!

Rosemary’s husband, Stephen, also volunteered for many years before he sadly died last year. Rosemary, who was supported on the evening by her son and sister, was applauded as she was presented with her certificate by John Bishop, Finance Director and a bouquet of Roses ‘her favourite flowers’ by Hannah Touhey, Voluntary Services Manager.

Mick Pocock also attended to collect his ten year certificate along with fellow Volunteer Gardener, Graham Hambling. However, this was not their first awards event of 2025 for them, as they both received a Knighthood earlier this year! Mick and Graham are both gardeners at the Hospice and they were recognised for their long service Charitable contributions both at the Charity and in the community. They attended a ceremony at Great St Mary’s Church in Cambridge where they were knighted into the order of St George and later visited Rome in March when they had an audience with the (now late) Pope Francis.

The volunteers and their guests enjoyed a sociable evening which included drinks and a buffet, prepared by the Bistro team. Hannah shared:

“Each and every one of the volunteers play an integral part of the Charity’s success in ‘making every moment count’ for over 3,800 patients and their loved ones each year across the Hospice in Cambridge, the Alan Hudson Centre in Wisbech and in the Retail Outlets across Cambridgeshire. We always say we can’t do it without them – because it is true! We’re so grateful to them for giving us their time and expertise.”

In addition to those attending our ceremony, a further 23 volunteers also reached their long service milestones. Accumulating 220 years of service between them!

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If you would like to volunteer for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, please visit arhc.org.uk/volunteer