Woman celebrates three decades of volunteering

A volunteer celebrating 35 years of volunteering at a palliative care charity said she "could never have imagined" she would still be supporting the cause more than three decades after starting.

Peterborough resident Linda Dalton, 76, has volunteered at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall since the year it opened in 1991 and describes the site as "like a second home".

She has been sharing her experiences as a volunteer as part of Volunteers' Week, an annual UK-wide campaign to celebrate volunteers.

She continued: "I have always treated my volunteering like a part-time job, giving it the same commitment as if I were employed."

Members of her family have also supported Sue Ryder; her husband volunteered since the hospice's early days, while her mother-in-law served as a bucket collector, and her sons have also contributed their time.

Her father had served as a volunteer receptionist before becoming a hospice patient himself.

She said: "He felt very comfortable being looked after by people he knew, and I felt grateful for the care he received."

In the last 35 years, Dalton has organised annual art events and raised £200,000 through charity auctions.

She said one of the highlights was representing the charity at a Buckingham Palace garden party shortly after Queen Elizabeth II became its patron.

Linda added: "When I received the call asking me to help in 1991, I asked, 'How much time do you need from me?' The reply was, 'However much you can spare." I could never have imagined I'd still be here 35 years later."

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