Two long-standing volunteers recognised for dedication to life-saving charity.
Mick Hughes, from Gosport, and Jim Cole, from Waterlooville, are familiar faces to supporters and staff members alike of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.
Unwavering support
The dynamic duo met after they began volunteering for our life-saving service and have rarely been seen apart since.
Mick, who has volunteered for more than nine years and Jim for more than seven and a half, show incredible dedication – helping to spread the word when representing our charity at events across the region.
Mick and Jim are part of a team of more than 200 volunteers who provide invaluable support – from giving talks to local groups, to supporting our charity team in our head office or engaging with the public at fundraising events – we could not achieve what we do without them.
Mick and Jim (pictured above) at events across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
As a thank you to Mick and Jim for their phenomenal support over the years, we nominated the duo to attend The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth’s Charity and Voluntary Sector Garden Party on Saturday 26 July – celebrating the hard work and dedication of those in the charity sector.
Mick reflected on his time as a volunteer, telling us:
“What I enjoy most about this is the fact that I, along with the other volunteers, am making such a difference.
“It is wonderful to see the charity grow from strength to strength and mean such a lot to the public.
“My favourite thing about volunteering is giving the public a better understanding of what we do, how we raise the funds and what the money is spent on.
“I have done so many events but I think the stand out moment is at the end of the event when we find out how much money we have raised, this always brings a smile to my face.
“Being a volunteer is an absolute privilege.”
“It was an honour to represent the charity at the Portsmouth Lord Mayor Charity Garden Party, meeting all the other volunteers and finding out how they manage to keep their organisation going.”
Mick and Jim with their well-deserved cakes.
Jim added:
“It was a great honour to represent all the Hampshire and Isle of Wight volunteers at the Lord Mayor’s Garden Party and to meet a few of the volunteers from other Portsmouth area charities.
“I’ve attended various events with the charity and heard how the service we provide is appreciated by the community and chatted to some very grateful past patients or their relatives.
“Over the years I’ve managed to successfully put up a few gazabos, attended a variety of events, pretended to be a pilot and worn yellow tights, but most of all I’ve had fun.”
Kirsty Davies, Volunteering Manager at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, said:
“Mick and Jim were nominated to attend the event as a heartfelt thank you from everyone across the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance team.
“As long-standing and dedicated volunteers, they are truly an integral part of our volunteering family, supporting a wide range of roles with unwavering commitment and enthusiasm.
“In just the last year alone, they have donated an incredible 463 hours.
“We simply can’t thank them enough — but we hope this special event showed just how appreciated they are.”
Make a life-saving difference
Have you been inspired by Mick and Jim? Find out more about becoming a member of our volunteering team and help save lives across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
