Royal Voluntary Service café at Stirling Community Hospital transformed thanks to generous donations

A ceremony took place on 12 June 2018 to thank the local organisations whose generous donations have helped transform the Royal Voluntary Service café at Stirling Community Hospital.

The Friends of Stirling Community Hospital, a local charity which supports a wide range of initiatives across the hospital, donated £150,000 to help Royal Voluntary Service completely refurbish and relocate its existing café to a larger, more prominent location within the hospital. This funding was matched by NHS Forth Valley as part of a wider £2 million investment programme to upgrade the outpatient and main reception areas.

The café, which has been renamed Tea & Co, attracts a huge number of visitors, patients and staff every day who enjoy a range food and drink options as well as a warm welcome from Royal Voluntary Service volunteers.

At the heart of the café are its 28 volunteers – many of whom are over 80 years old – who have been providing services on the hospital site for more than 20 years. As well as preparing and serving food and drinks, the trained, caring volunteers signpost services available to older people in the local community and bring comfort, company and compassion to customers.

As part of the celebrations, four Royal Voluntary Service volunteers were awarded long service medals. These included Pat Middleton, who received a five year medal and Barbara Maak, Barbara Shanks and Clementine Campbell who received their 20 year medals.

"I’ve been a Royal Voluntary Service volunteer for 22 years and love running the café at Stirling Community Hospital which I’ve been doing for 20 years. It’s extremely busy so time flies by and we get lovely feedback from customers. I’m looking forward to the new look café which will create a really modern environment."

Sheila Pheely, age 85, the volunteer who runs the Royal Voluntary Service Tea & Co café

"This generous donation made to Royal Voluntary Service by the Friends of the Stirling Community Hospital has enabled us to transform the café, making it a brighter, more attractive space for customers to spend time in and, more importantly, a place where visitors can find out more the services the Royal Voluntary Service provides to people in hospital and in the local community.

"To be supported in such a way by the Friends of Stirling Community Hospital and NHS Forth Valley is a wonderful compliment to the hard work and dedication shown by our team of volunteers and staff."

Mark Olliver, Director of Retail for Royal Voluntary Service

"The Friends of Stirling Community Hospital are delighted to contribute to such a worthwhile project which has made such a difference to patients, visitors and staff and created a much better environment for the Royal Voluntary Service volunteers."

Allan Dewar, Chair of the Friends of Stirling Community Hospital

"The new café is part of a wider programme of hospital improvements which has seen the refurbishment of all three outpatient areas along with the main reception and entrance corridor to improve facilities for local patients and staff."

Alex Linkston, Chair of NHS Forth Valley

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