Volunteers honoured by Mayor of Dudley
The Mayor of Dudley has visited The Queensway Centre for elderly people in Halesowen today (9 December) to commend volunteers who work there.
The project, which supports older people through its day centre, is supported by more than 27 volunteers.
The Mayor presented outstanding voluntary service certificates to 10 of the volunteers, who have completed seven years and over of service in the centre.
One of the volunteers who the Mayor met today is local Halesowen resident Judith Wheatley, who has volunteered at the centre for over 30 years. She said:
As a local resident I wanted to give something back to the community. It’s nice to meet new people and help elderly people to get out the house.
Councillor Anne Millward, Mayor of Dudley, said:
It was a huge honour to visit the Queensway Centre and to speak to some of the volunteers who give their time to keep this vital support service running in Halesowen.
We all know that older people can face loneliness and isolation and it has been a joy to see how this centre is bringing people together and supporting older people who live in the area.
Volunteers do key work including keeping the centre clean, serving refreshments and organising social activities. They also offer companionship, friendship, and support to elderly visitors, who are sometimes feeling lonely or isolated.
Jill Nicholls, Chairman of the Queensway Centre who has completed seven years outstanding voluntary service, said:
We are so grateful for the work of all our volunteers, both past and present, for their 36 years of distinguished voluntary service.
We aim to provide a welcome environment for people aged 55 and over to enjoy refreshments and make friends with one another. We are delighted to welcome back our existing visitors after several months of lockdown during the pandemic, and we hope to gain some new faces at the centre during the months ahead.
As a centre that relies on volunteers, we are always looking for more people to help out and I would ask anyone who thinks they may be able to spare some time to get in touch with us to find out more.
Anyone who is aged over 55 and retired is invited to come to the centre where they will be able to enjoy tea, coffee, toasted snacks and breakfasts. The centre is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm.
People who would like to find out more can call the centre on 0121 550 0118.