Date: 10/12/2009
IS NELL BRITAIN’S OLDEST VOLUNTEER ?
Nell Badger celebrated her 97th birthday on 2nd December. For most of us that would be an excuse to put our feet up and reflect on the many changes seen throughout a long life. Not for Nell though! Every Saturday afternoon she volunteers at the St Michael’s Hospice shop in Ross on Wye and has been volunteering in the Ross area for the past 28 years. The Hospice celebrated its silver anniversary this year and Nell has seen many changes in that time, including three different locations for the Hospice shop over the course of 17 years’ trading.
Nell comes from a selfless generation when giving to others was second nature. Having managed a local post office for 24 years, she became a volunteer for St Michael’s Hospice in 1981, raising funds for the building work to begin.
Nell explained why giving her time in the Ross charity shop was an easy decision for her: “I’d always been in business and it seemed the right thing to do. The secret to having a good shop is to be friendly and happy with customers; if you are pleasant with people they will come back.”
Upon receiving flowers from Lawrence Eytle (Retail Area Manager) and Peter Drayton (Ross Shop Manager) to mark her birthday celebrations, Nell said: “I still enjoy coming to the shop - it’s the highlight of my week!”
It appears that Nell is the oldest charity shop volunteer in Herefordshire, but is she the oldest volunteer in Britain?
