Shireoaks: Hospice volunteer couple meet the Queen

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A royal welcome was the order of the day when Bluebell Wood employee Sandra Hind met the Queen.

Sandra, from Shireoaks, is a volunteer coordinator for the North Anston children’s hospice.

She was invited to the reception at St James Palace on 29th May on behalf of all Bluebell Wood’s 350 volunteers, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Queen’s Award for Volunteers.

Bluebell Wood was awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in September 2012 which is an annual award made to recognise and reward excellence in voluntary activities carried out by groups in the community.

Sandra, 68, said: “It was an honour to be invited to represent the Bluebell Wood volunteers at the reception hosted by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.”

“Without volunteers our hospice would struggle to exist so to honour them with this award has been a way of saying thank you for all their hard work and something we are extremely proud of.”

Sandra was accompanied at the reception by her husband and fellow Bluebell Wood volunteer Jeff Hind.

Both Sandra and Jeff shook hands with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh before chatting with other members of the royal family who circulated among the guests.

Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice chief executive Claire Rintoul said: “Every single day that I come to work I’m amazed and inspired by everything that our volunteers do for us, whether that’s regular or one-off support, here in the hospice or out in the community, so it was lovely that our volunteers received this recognition from the Queen.”