A long-serving Northern Ireland Hospice volunteer from Newtownabbey was recently presented with a prestigious Order of Mercy medal at a glittering awards ceremony in London.

83-year-old Judy Turner – who volunteers as a Ward Clerk at NI Hospice’s Adults In-Patient Unit in Somerton Road, Belfast – was nominated for her outstanding services to the local palliative care charity. She is described as “an exceptional volunteer” for her loyal commitment, which dates back to February 2008.

Explaining her motivation for volunteering, Judy said: “I first started supporting Hospice when I worked for the Housing Executive and donating through the Save As You Earn scheme. And when I retired, I decided to continue supporting them by giving my spare time.”

An incredulous and modest Judy added: “I was so surprised to receive the award. At first, I didn’t even believe it – I opened a letter which simply said ‘Dear Madam’ at the top, so I just assumed that it didn’t actually mean me!

“I was delighted to have my son Simon accompanying me to the ceremony at the Mansion House, the Lord Mayor of London’s residence. I picked up the award from Lord Lingfield, the President of the League of Mercy. It was a great evening and such an honour.”

Judy Turner, an 83-year-old NI Hospice volunteer from Newtownabbey, was recently presented with a prestigious Order of Mercy medal by Lord Lingfield, the President of the League of Mercy, at a glittering awards ceremony in London.

Established by the League of Mercy Foundation, the distinguished award was first given in 1899 for voluntary service assisting in the relief of sickness and suffering. To be nominated for the League’s annual Order of Mercy award, nominees must have given “marvellous voluntary service over a period of at least seven years”.

Judy was put forward for the award by Sheila Hannon, NI Hospice’s Volunteer Services Co-ordinator. Sheila says: “I recommended Judy, based on her loyal 17 years’ service and the positive impact she has made on our patients, their families, our staff, and volunteer teams.

“Judy has demonstrated her flexible and positive attitude by taking on a variety of volunteer roles over the years, such as reception services; helping out in the Hospice’s busy tea bar; and assisting with the serving of meals and refreshments to patients. More recently, Judy has been assisting in the busy ward clerk office, supporting our medical teams in the provision of palliative care to our patients and providing essential administrative support to our staff teams.

“Judy is a thoughtful, friendly, hard-working, and modest person – characteristics which have enabled her to be a generous and reliable volunteer. Throughout her years volunteering with Hospice, Judy has embraced and demonstrated our key values, including respect and acceptance, courage, compassion, and integrity. She is a valuable asset to the team – and without volunteers like Judy, Hospice would not be able to provide the level of service we provide to our patients and their families.”

If you have a few hours to spare each week, and would like to become an NI Hospice volunteer, visit nihospice.org/volunteer.

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