I have been a Volunteer at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital since I retired in 2006. Apart from the last year I have worked as a volunteer in the Chemotherapy Day Centre. In all that time Sister Wendy Davies has been the Ward Manager, and both she and her team always welcomed and appreciated the contribution volunteers made to her ward and their patients. Some time ago in an interview with BBC Radio Shropshire, Wendy referred to the volunteers on her ward as the “unpaid members of her team”, and we considered that a compliment.

So many of us have members of our family diagnosed with cancer, four of my family have needed chemotherapy treatment, though only my late husband Roger had his treatment at Shrewsbury. At 82 I may possibly be the oldest person to take part in this charity abseil event, many have said “if not the oldest probably the daftest” but if not NOW….WHEN!!