90-year-old Hucknall woman has Bulwell bus named after her
A 90-year-old hospital volunteer has had a Nottingham City Transport (NCT) bus named after her in recognition of nearly two decades of dedicated service to patients, visitors and staff at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH).
And it is a No 17 bus on NCT’s Brown line route between Bulwell and Nottingham – which Margaret has used many times in her life – which has been named in her honour.
Margaret has volunteered at City Hospital almost every Tuesday and Friday since 2006, becoming a familiar and much-loved face across the site.
She now joins an established group of local heroes to be celebrated with an NCT bus bearing their name.
The honour forms part of NCT’s sponsorship of NUH’s People First Recognition Awards, where Margaret was announced as the winner of the Volunteer Award in November.
She was visibly taken aback when her named NCT double-decker arrived outside NUH headquarters at City Hospital for the unveiling.
Margaret has supported numerous wards and roles over the years, from running errands and helping staff to welcoming patients and visitors, and is well known for her warmth, humour and her famous tub of sweets.
When the bus bearing her name pulled up, Margaret simply said: “Ain’t it nice?
"I didn’t expect it at all, I am overwhelmed.
"It just shows how much we are appreciated.
"We don’t do it for that – we do it because we like people and we want to help.”
“If my husband was still here, he would be so proud.”
Margaret was given a full tour of her bus and even had the chance to sit in the driver’s seat.
Sarah Cadwell-Sneath, voluntary services co-ordinator at NUH, who nominated Margaret for the award, said: “Margaret is a wealth of knowledge.
"She has dedicated nearly 20 years of her life to NUH and is a massive asset to our team.
"Everyone who walks through the doors at City Hospital knows Margaret for her kindness, compassion and her abundance of sweets.”
David Conway, head of operations at NCT, said: “Fundamentally, volunteers do not get enough recognition across the entire community.
"Volunteers simply turn up and continue to give their time to help others.
"It is wonderful that we can bring some recognition to people like Margaret, and we are delighted to have named a bus after her.”
Margaret joins fellow NUH Volunteer Award winners Roy Brooks-Porter and Ernesto Marongiu, along with other notable individuals honoured by NCT bus namings, including Sheku Kanneh-Mason, BBC Young Musician of the Year, and retired cricket commentator Henry Blofeld.
If you’d like to find out more about volunteering opportunities at NUH, visit nuh.nhs.uk/volunteer-here
And if a member of NUH staff or a team have gone above and beyond in caring for you or a relative, you can nominate them at nuh.nhs.uk/awards