Melksham woman named Volunteer of the Year for hospital charity efforts

A woman from Melksham who has been volunteering for the Royal United Hospital charity for 26 years has been named Volunteer of the Year for her efforts.

Elaine Lewis has volunteered for the Royal United Hospital charity in Bath’s RUHX appeal for 26 years, taking part in bucket collections and helping at the hospital’s annual Walk for Life.

She received the award as part of Bath Radio’s charity awards. Elaine was nominated by the RUHX team, the official NHS charity of the RUH, which helps fund innovative new technologies and collaborates with groups tackling health inequalities.

“I was highly chuffed and totally amazed that I had won the award,” said Elaine, who started volunteering for RUHX when her mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 1999. The hospital then cared for Elaine’s dad and husband.

“When I first started volunteering, RUHX was known as the Forever Friends Appeal. I wanted to start helping out as a way to say thank you to the hospital for all they had done to support my mum, dad and then sadly my husband.”

Elaine has been part of a team helping to raise thousands of pounds for the hospital. She said, “It is hard to say exactly how much I have raised individually but we have been involved in helping to build the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, getting CT scanners and then we were involved in the new Dyson Centre.

“I originally started selling teddy pin badges, then got involved with bucket collections standing in Bath and me and my friend help out at the Walk for Life. My friend works in Waitrose and we do a bucket collection once a year; at the recent bucket collection there we raised £450.”

For her efforts, Elaine received a certificate and a vase. She said, “Anytime they need volunteers, I just do it,” said Elaine, who also volunteers with Melksham Lions and is the manager of the Community Larder in the Round Tower at Church Street.

“I have always been willing to help people; I really enjoy it; that is just my nature.”

This year, Bath Radio launched its inaugural charity awards celebrating the outstanding work of charities, organisations and volunteers across Bath & North East Somerset and West Wiltshire. Elaine was among the first to be recognised.