Thame Day Centre honours volunteer for 20 years

A Thame and District Day Centre volunteer was honoured and thanked today – and sent off with 20 years of photographic memories.

Joan Colwill, who for most of that time has also served as a Trustee of the Centre and committee member, spent her last day there in the same way as she has all the others, by chatting to members, assisting with meals and supporting the staff.

Staff, other volunteers and members were there to see Centre Manager, Gill Coleman present Joan with a bouquet of flowers and a photograph album of members past and present who have passed through during Joan’s 20 year association with the day centre.

Tea, cream and strawberry sponge and scones, made by volunteer, Pat Draper, were enjoyed by all following a a sing-along session and the presentations.

Gill Coleman commented: “Joan’s gifts as a friend to all our members, our volunteers and also her support for me, as manager, have been invaluable. We’ll miss her but we wish her every happiness in her new life in Bristol.

“In her 20 years service here she has embodied what all our volunteers and our Centre are about: improving the quality of life of our members through the kind of everyday human contact which is more rare than it should be in this day and age.”

Joan herself commented: “I get as much from the Centre as I give out. I just love it and I love the members. I shall miss it terribly. I shall miss all of you.”

Brenda Prosser, Chairman of the Centre?s Board of Trustees, praised Joan?s many roles in her service to the Centre: “We will miss her calm judgment in committee discussions, especially when we had difficult matters to discuss.”

Joan has also been a member of St Mary?s Church. She is moving to Thornbury, Bristol to be closer to her Son and his young family, and is determined to seek out a volunteering role for herself in her new home town.

PHOTO: Joan Colwill, surprised and delighted with her album of past and present Day Centre members to remind her of her 20 years as a volunteer at the Thame and District Day Centre.