Derek, a former BT maintenance supervisor, started volunteering at Northampton General Hospital in 2015 at the age of 79.
“When my wife was alive, she [was] very often admitted to the hospital [and] it was then I asked volunteers for help,” he said.
“When my wife died in November 2014, I thought what a good job the volunteers were doing, directing and helping the public around the hospital.
“I thought that’s what I wanted to do and I’ve been a volunteer ever since. I come in on a Monday and on Friday afternoons.”
He recently celebrated his 90th birthday and was surprised by staff and fellow volunteers when he arrived to volunteer at the hospital on the 8 June.
“It was quite a surprise really, the staff turned up with a nice cake which had been made by another volunteer and we shared the cake amongst the other volunteers.”
Derek says he’s not thinking about stopping anytime soon, saying: “It’s very good to be able to come in as and when I do.”
Emma Wimpress, head of volunteer services at UHN, says about 500 people volunteer across the two hospitals and they make a huge difference to patient experience.
“When people come to hospital, they’re anxious [and] they don’t necessarily know where they’re going,” she added.
“So seeing Derek’s smiley face, or one of the other volunteers, really [puts] someone’s mind at ease when they come in.
“We’re very lucky to work with people like Derek.
“It’s a massive hats off to all our volunteers who make such a difference.”
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