Echo News
Volunteer couple clocks up 50 years of giving
1:00pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012
A COUPLE who have volunteered at Basildon Hospital since before it was even built are celebrating 50 years of dedicated service, helping to raise more than £1million.
Ken and Marjorie Humphreys have watched the hospital grow, technology advance and have raised thousands of pounds for it over the past half century.
In the early Sixties, a sign went up in Dry Street declaring plans for a hospital to be built in the field, where horses stood.
Mr Humphreys, 81, of Furrowfelde, Basildon, saw the sign and helped start a League of Friends group, with the aim of helping patients at the new hospital.
He said: “Recently we donated money for tiny single-use cameras, which the patient swallows for internal investigations to be carried out.
“It is a big change from when the hospital first opened, and we donated telephone trollies and televisions for the ward common rooms.”
As the field and the horses gave way to the hospital, the league used to hold boot sales in the hospital car park and an annual fete was held on the site where the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre now stands.
Mr Humphreys added: “The hospital constantly changes and continually gets bigger.
“It’s been great watching it develop and progress.”
The couple have helped the League of Friends raise more than £1million for the hospital.
About 50 volunteers from the group help to run two cafes, serving snacks and drinks to hospital staff, patients and visitors.
They raise about £1,000 per week, which, together with donations, membership subscriptions and other fundraising activities, enables the charity to make substantial donations.
Their annual donations have increased from £2,850 when the hospital opened in 1973 to £76,871 in 2010.
Mr Humpreys said: “We do it together and it is such a big part of our lives.
“Not only is it very worthwhile and provides you with a great sense of personal satisfaction, we get to meet lots of very nice and interesting people.
“We are both still involved with the committee and help out where we can, although now we’re older we are a bit more limited as to what we can do.
“My favourite memory will always be the ward rounds we used to do at Christmas.
“I used to dress up as Father Christmas and get pulled around the wards on my sleigh.
“It was always great to see the kids’ faces, and even the adults used to enjoy it.”
Mr Humphreys retired 29 years ago and is now president of League of Friends.
He flew in the RAF, like his father and grandfather, and worked as an architect helping to develop Basildon new town, before serving as a magistrate in Basildon, Grays and Brentwood.
The couple’s son, Paul, is also a retired RAF pilot. The couple have four grandchildren.
Sir Peter Dixon, hospital chairman, said: “This is an amazing achievement by Ken and Marjorie. Their enthusiasm and willingness to help others is an example to the rest of us and I am very grateful indeed to them and to all the other volunteers who give their time so freely.
“They can bring that extra touch which makes all the difference to our patients’ experience of care in the hospitals.”