Queen’s Award for cancer charity as it celebrates 40th anniversary
SHE became a volunteer driver for a cancer support charity to initially help out for six weeks. Now 40 years later, Yvonne Morrison is their longest serving volunteer, and in that time, could have travelled to the moon and back with the miles she has clocked up.
Her dedication to Ayrshire Cancer Support has been recognised as the charity celebrates its milestone 40th anniversary and was yesterday presented with a special award.
The Kilmarnock-based charity received the prestigious Queen’s Award For Voluntary Service at its Drop In Centre from the Lord Lieutenant Of Ayrshire, Sheriff Iona Mcdonald, in recognition of its vital work across the community.
It was awarded by the late Queen earlier in the year as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations and is the highest honour for volunteer groups and the equivalent of an MBE.
Sheriff Mcdonald highlighted how the charity had kept going during the pandemic and added: “You seek to improve the quality of life of those living with cancer and ensure that help is readily available with various services such as hospital transport and counselling.”
The charity is currently raising £2.4 million towards a second purpose-built facility in Ayr and this centre will house the region’s only dedicated complete support facility for children and young people.
Chief Executive Officer Sandra Mccall said they were delighted when it was revealed they would be recipients of the Queen’s Award.
She said: “To be granted an award like this by the late Queen is a wonderful privilege and shows that every second, every minute and every mile our team spends supporting others in need is being noticed up and down the country at even the highest levels.”
It is the help from volunteers that has helped it serve Ayrshire for so many years. Mrs Morrison, 62, from Maybole, first became a volunteer driver for ACS when it was founded in 1992. Awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2016, she has escorted thousands of patients to hospitals including the the Beatson in Glasgow.
Mrs Morrison said: “I initially volunteered to help with Ayrshire Cancer Support for six weeks at the beginning, as the group were under pressure for volunteers. I had four young children and worked at Ayr Gaiety Theatre at the time. I helped during school times, leading to five days.
“I have enjoyed every minute of it and it is very rewarding to have the opportunity to help others, and I’m most certainly aware of the fact even at the younger age I became a volunteer. In those days it was mostly mature adults that volunteered, I was the baby of the team.
“I have made many great friends on this journey and most certainly it became part of my life and who I am. There were some sad, difficult times, but overall so many happy times.”
Mrs Morrison helped one young man who was diagnosed with cancer and was very much alone and scared.
“He worked hard and found himself hitting hardship with funds as working wasn’t an option. Thankfully I was able to reassure him and put him on the right path for benefits and other help. He would ask me to go in with him to speak to the consultant as he was nervous,” she added.
“I had to step in and help with union support, just some of the things patients have sadly to deal with. He became part of my family and called me Mammy – I was very proud of him.”
Mrs Morrison would encourage people of any age to become a volunteer. She added: “It’s so rewarding and gives you self-worth as well as confidence. I feel the more you do for others, the more you do for yourself.”
I feel the more you do for others, the more you do for yourself