Eileen Savage has been giving her time to support Cossham Hospital since 1992 – and has no intention of stopping yet.
The 95-year-old started volunteering for the Cossham League of Friends after the death of her husband, initially serving teas and coffees in the café.
But when someone showed her a tapestry cottage tissue box holder in the shape of a cottage, Eileen embarked on a new way of raising funds for the hospital.
She has now made 700 of the cottages in various designs. And her tissue box holders have made their way all over the world, as she has made them for people she’s met on cruises over the years.
Eileen even adapted the design to make an ambulance for a paramedic who helped her at home when she was unwell earlier this year, which she dropped off at the ambulance station as a thank you.
While Eileen no longer helps in the café, she continues to support Cossham through her tapestry and by helping stitch together knitted squares for blankets and completing them with a crochet border. She also helps price up items for sale to raise funds for the League of Friends.
Of her long service as a Cossham volunteer, Eileen said: “I quite enjoyed helping out. It got me out of the house! The tapestry keeps my fingers active and my brain ticking over and it’s great to be helping out. I’m going to keep going!”
Kat Tudor, Volunteer Services Manager at North Bristol NHS Trust, added: “It’s wonderful that Eileen has volunteered for the Cossham League of Friends for more than 30 years now. To have made 700 of these tapestry tissue holders – and show no sign of stopping – is such an amazing feat and we are so thrilled that Eileen continues to support us. Thank you."
Thank you to Brunel Care for the photos of Eileen and her amazing work.
Find our more about the current volunteering opportunities here at NBT.
