Surprise for dedicated volunteer
A popular and longstanding volunteer was recently treated to a surprise tea party on the occasion of her 90th birthday.
Sheila Pheely works within the RVS cafe in the main outpatient building at Stirling Health and Care Village, formerly Stirling Community Hospital.
However, she only stepped down as volunteer manager of the cafe in 2021 after 25 years service with the charity.
Described by her fellow RVS volunteers as “legendary”, Sheila is well known to staff, patients and visitors.
RVS (Royal Voluntary Service) colleagues and local NHS Forth Valley colleagues organised the surprise event to help mark her major birthday milestone and thank Sheila for everything she has done and continues to do to support all concerned.
During her time as manager, as well as running the cafe, Sheila would also provide catering for meetings, something which her colleagues said was “always really nicely done and nothing was too much trouble for her - people always wondered how she managed to do it all”.
In the past, the cafe operated in quite cramped conditions within the former Queen Elizabeth Wing and when it moved over to the previous former shop area, Sheila was heavily involved in the discussions that led to the new cafe and kept the service going before it was relocated.
On her retiral as manager in 2021 it was said that it was testatment to Sheila and the efforts of the RVS team that a sizable donation was given by the Friends of the Hospital to assist the health board in developing a new café.
Sheila and her team of volunteers were also 1st Runners Up in the Volunteer category in the 2015 NHS Forth Valley Staff awards.
Sheila and her colleagues have also been instrumental in raising money donated by the RVS for the former Community Hospital gardens at the inpatient wards and the pleasure gained by patients, visitors and staff from the refurbished and planted out areas.
An NHS Forth Valley spokesperson said: “Sheila is longstanding and legendary. She is well known to staff, patients and visitors.
“RVS colleagues and local NHS Forth Valley colleagues organised a surprise tea party to help mark this major birthday milestone and thank Sheila for everything she has done and continues to do to support local patients, staff and visitors.”