A long-serving volunteer, who has been with the hospice since it launched 29 years ago, is retiring this week.

Pat Emery (pictured right centre) has given her time to help support the hospice for close to three decades and is now set to take a well-earned retirement.

Amanda Cook and Louise Perfitt, who co-supervise reception at the hospice, says Pat will be sorely missed.

They said: “Since the day we both started here at the hospice, Pat has been a loyal and integral part of the reception team.

“She is an absolute pleasure to know and we have enjoyed every minute working with her.

“As our longest-serving volunteer, Pat has shown incredible dedication and has so many wonderful stories and memories to share from the 29 years that she has been involved with the hospice.

“She will be sorely missed by everyone and we wish her all the very best in her retirement.”

Pat has worked the morning shift on reception every Thursday and she is also part of the Weston Friends of the Hospice committee, which she will continue.

Pat said: “I started many years ago at Montpellier and there has been lots of memorable events. We have had Prince Edward here and that was the opening here at Jackson-Barstow House.”

Pat started volunteering for the hospice in 1989 after deciding she needed to find a role to support the community after her children left for college and university.

She continued: “With my immediate family leaving for college, I decided I needed to do something useful to take the place of looking after my family and this came up and I thought it was very useful and I have been here ever since.

“There have been lots of highlights and I have enjoyed working here with people coming in and I have just enjoyed every day.

“I have accepted every opportunity working here, and have really enjoyed myself and have got a lot of pleasure out of working here.”

Pat’s time at the hospice has seen her volunteer in a number of different roles. She once found herself in Weston High Street carol singing to raise funds for a new building which has now become Jackson-Barstow House in Uphill where the hospice has been based since 2003.

In her retirement Pat will still remain in touch with the hospice by continuing her role with the Weston-based Friends of Weston Hospicecare.

“I am not leaving the hospice completely, I am on the friends committee and I would like to stay on that for a while.

“It has been great personally, I just hope everybody here feels the same way.”

The hospice relies on the support from volunteers in many roles across the charity to support areas such as the retail shops, the community companions, drivers, counsellors and at the hospice HQ.

There are more than 650 volunteers who dedicate their time to help and support the charity deliver care to those with life-limiting illnesses.