A Rickmansworth woman has been given a special award for her tireless work with the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS).
69-year-old Tricia Hedge has been selected as one of 490 Platinum Champions chosen by the charity, centrally for her work in her local branch’s lunch club, where she has been an integral fixture for the past 11 years.
The judges, who considered 220 nominees across the East of England, were wowed by her dedication to volunteering. Tricia cooks weekly for the RVS Thursday club, and throughout the pandemic she continued to stay in touch with members and check up on them regularly.
On receiving the award, Tricia said: “I am overwhelmed and beyond ecstatic to be nominated by my fellow volunteers. To be a Royal Voluntary Service Platinum Champion is an honour not just for myself but for our whole team, without whom our Lunch Club would not exist.
“Volunteering is such a gratifying experience; even a few hours a month can make a big difference in your life and the lives of others.”
The Platinum Champion awards, created to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, were the idea of the charity’s patron, Her Royal Highness Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, as a way to celebrate the work these volunteers do on a regular basis and the difference that it makes.
The Duchess said: “The Platinum Champions Awards, have given us the opportunity to celebrate the remarkable contribution of all volunteers, who truly are the backbone of our country.
“Congratulations to all our Platinum Champions, and my heartfelt thanks to you and to the millions of volunteers across the UK who give their time and talents so generously.”
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