Volunteers of the Month - April 2019 - Steve & Barbara Wood

"Mondays wouldn't be the same without Steve and Barbara” says Noreen Brown, Site Coordinator at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People’s Beatrice Wright Centre in East Yorkshire. 

“What an absolute pleasure it is to work with this wonderful couple. Steve always has a smile on his face and does much more than the vehicle valeting role he originally applied for. He cuts the lawns in our partnership gardens and has also become very actively involved in the northern Great British Dog Walks which has been a huge help.” 

“His lovely wife Barbara is a talented gardener and has brightened our gardens and window boxes with colour and care.  She works tirelessly, in all weathers, and most of the plants have been generously donated by the Woods themselves.”

Steve and Barbara are one of those couples that have made a real impact since joining the volunteer family just over two years ago. It’s not everyone that comes forward to clean cars and keep our sites looking nice, but the Woods bring joy to their volunteering and their conscientious touch make staff, fellow volunteers and visitors feel looked after and proud of their environment.

Their efforts really helped the Beatrice Wright Centre look top notch for HRH The Princess Royal’s 10th anniversary visit last year. From VIP tours to the general day-to-day, it speaks volumes of the Charity and our community when our cars, site and gardens look spic and span.

Sam Bennett, Interim Centre Manager, appreciates the commitment: “Having vehicles that are sparkling clean is a great advert for the charity. Steve’s hard work keeping the fleet looking great is a huge bonus, giving the team more time to concentrate on training dogs.”

“Barbara is routinely to be found around site tending to the various gardens, flower beds or window boxes. She always greets people with a cheery “hello!” whilst she works away helping the Beatrice Wright Centre to look its best.”

Lucy Ward, Community Fundraising Manager, agrees wholeheartedly with this sentiment: “Steve and Barbara are such a pleasure to have here as volunteers. They are always upbeat, cheerful and happy to help come rain or shine. Steve has been brilliant with driving and marshalling at our Great British Dog Walks and Barbara's amazing baking keeps us all going! They are both real assets to the Hearing Dogs and we are very lucky to have them.”

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