Hospice volunteers enjoy ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience
Two of our dedicated volunteers experienced a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity at Westminster Abbey this Christmas.
Eileen Smith was nominated by Mark Llewellin DL, Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, to be part of the congregation at this year’s ‘Royal Carols: Together at Christmas’ service.
Eileen was accompanied by fellow Flower Festival committee member Christine Lucas at the service – which shone a light on around 1,600 individuals across the UK who have shown love, kindness and empathy towards others in their communities.
It’s the fourth successive year that the Princess of Wales has hosted the heart-warming seasonal event – one of the biggest appearances of the year so far for Kate after she confirmed in September she had completed her cancer treatment and would be easing back into royal duties.
Eileen – from Stalybridge – said it was “an absolute privilege” to be part of the occasion and she was “very humbled and very grateful” to have been invited.
“Mark rang me up and asked if he could nominate me to go to the Princess of Wales’ Carol Concert in London,” she explained. “He said I might not get a ticket but he chose to nominate me because of all the work I have done for the Hospice, including the Flower Festival.
“So I said yes, of course! I got an email about 10 days later from Mark’s office to tell me I’d actually got an invitation. Christine is also very active on the Flower Festival committee, so she was an obvious person to come with me.”
For Eileen and Christine, the experience of their day in the capital was truly magical.
“We went down on the train and we had to be at Westminster Abbey for 3.30pm so we booked a hotel near the Abbey, had some lunch and got ready,” said Eileen. “People were queuing up and you couldn’t get anywhere near the Abbey unless you had a golden ticket.
“There was a steel band there playing carols and they were giving out mince pies. When we went inside, it was just so beautiful and it’s a huge building. It was the first time I had been and it was just so wonderfully decorated, with lights everywhere and a stunning Christmas tree. You could write a message and put it on the tree.
“There were a lot of famous faces you see on TV there, so we were star spotting! We were in the knave near the door so we could actually see the Prince and Princess of Wales come in with their little ones. We recognised Zara Tindall and all of the Royal Family, who came in first.
“We all had a candle which they lit for us. Greg Porter started off by singing a carol and Prince William gave a speech. We sang carols and there was a lovely service. We waited for the Royal Family to disperse and then we went outside into the darkness, where all the lights were on and it was just so lovely.
“I’ll remember it for a long time. I’m framed my invitation and I’ve got a programme from the service. The Princess of Wales also wrote a letter to everyone who attended thanking us for coming and for everything we do.”
It’s an experience Eileen will relive when the service airs as part of a special hour-long programme on Christmas Eve (24th December) on ITV1 and ITVX at 7.30pm.
She first started volunteering for Willow Wood on the Reception desk when the Hospice opened in 1999 and, after taking a gap when she opened a nursery, continued her support through fundraising.
“I was really interested in fundraising for the Hospice and when it opened was a time in my life when I needed to volunteer so I wanted to give something back to a charity. Since it’s opened, I’ve known lots of people who have needed the services here. It’s a lovely place and it feels like the right place for me to be.
“Dot [Birchfield] asked me first if I could help out and then John [Fellowes] approached me one day to see if I knew anyone who could take over the running of the annual Flower Festival. I used to do some arrangements for it so I took it on. We started it in 2015 and we have raised around £66,000 so far.”
Eileen also helps to keep the shop in the Hospice Reception stocked up and recently took part in Willow Wood does Strictly as a dancer.
She also decorates a Christmas tree on behalf of Willow Wood at the Albion Church in Ashton-under-Lyne every year.
“I enjoy supporting the Hospice and I’ve done a bit of everything which all helps in some way,” she added. “I’ve been to Ascot Ladies Day fundraisers and the Grand Balls down the years. When I had the nursery, we used to sponsor a table at the Ball.”
