Celebrations as Shrewsbury hospital 'volunteer of the year' Terry turns 90

Terry Seston has been volunteering at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) for about 15 years. 

He volunteers at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) as a ‘Meet and Greet’ volunteer which involves welcoming patients and visitors when they arrive at hospital and supporting and directing them to where they need to go.

It is a year of celebrations for Terry, as his wife Babs is also turning 90 in May and they are planning a garden party for their 69th wedding anniversary in June. 

Babs also volunteered at SaTH for many years and the twosome were joint winners of the very first ‘Volunteer of the Year’ in the Trust Awards Ceremony in 2016, when they received a standing ovation from everyone in the room.

Terry said: “My wife and I started volunteering with the hospital about 15 years ago. I was so appreciative after receiving care for bowel cancer 30 years ago, they gave me additional years of life, so I volunteered as a way to say thank you.

“I suggest to anyone who has spare time on their hands, it’s worth trying a volunteer role, you might find the same satisfaction I’ve found alongside all the other charity works I’ve been involved in. 

“We both volunteer as we want to give back and say thank you by doing things that might help someone else along the line. If you want, try volunteering, do it because you want to do it and not because you have to do it.”

Hannah Morris, Head of Public Participation, who recruited Terry and Babs said: “We are so grateful for the dedication that both Terry and Babs have shown to their volunteering. To know that Terry is now 90 and is still going strong, is an inspiration to us all.”

Julia Clarke, Director of Public Participation, said: “I want to wish Terry happy 90th birthday and I want to personally thank Terry for his hard work and commitment to the Trust. We can learn so much from Terry and his work ethic and as he said you are only as old as you feel.”