Four senior Abbeyfield volunteers each received the Abbeyfield Royal Patron’s Award on 23rd September at the Society’s Annual General Meeting at the Royal College of Physicians in London.
Presented by Abbeyfield Society President Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone, the Award is signed by Abbeyfield Royal Patron, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. It is in recognition of outstanding voluntary service to the Abbeyfield Society. The recipients this year are:-
Shannon Houliston for his energetic unremitting commitment to Abbeyfield Ilkley for over more than twelve years. First, “at the wheel” of the highly successful £8 million Abbeyfield Ilkley integrated care development, The Grove, and now with the building of a new 24 apartment Abbeyfield at Menston, both in North Yorkshire.
Robin Nash for his inspired leadership and long term commitment to Abbeyfield over more than thirty years, both within the Abbeyfield Bristol Society as Treasurer then Chairman and on various committees on a regional and national level for the Abbeyfield movement as a whole.
Margaret Smithers for her inspired leadership and commitment for over forty years to the Abbeyfield Groombridge Society in Sussex during which time she has been House Chairman, Company Secretary, Executive Chairman, President and Area Chairman.
John Stevens for his 30 years volunteering with Abbeyfield Berkhamsted and Hemel Hempstead Society, twelve as Chairman during which major mergers and refurbishments took place.
On average only around four Royal Patron’s Awards are given out each year for which all the 7000 Abbeyfield volunteers across the country are eligible for nomination.
Paul Allen, Chief Executive of the Abbeyfield Society says, "Abbeyfield's volunteers are the life blood of our organisation and these four people are a splendid example of the selfless effort that is put in. My thanks go to them and all the other volunteers whose work is so important to us".