IF dedication and commitment are what makes a good volunteer then two women who work for Kemp Hospice have had it in bucket loads.

Sheila Turner, of Valley View, Bewdley and Betty Russell, of Nursery Grove, Kidderminster have been two of the longest serving helpers at the specialist care centre.

Mrs Russell was Kemp's longest serving volunteer. Before retiring at the beginning of December, she worked at the hospice on most Fridays, since the day it opened in January, 1992.

Even before the opening Mrs Russell was involved with the work that led to the setting up of the centre, which helps people with cancer and their families.

Mrs Russell said: "We started doing home visits at first, led by Jennifer Binnian, one of the people who helped found the hospice."

So dedicated has Mrs Russell been that she even carried on working in her demanding, hands-on, patient-centred role after she had not one, but two, hip replacements. Eventually a bad knee got the better of her.

Dedicated Mrs Russell, who explained patience was also needed to make a good volunteer, said: "I had hoped to carry on until I was 75 but I am now waiting for a knee replacement and it has meant I am not able to help the patients move about."

Hospice volunteering is multi-faceted work. On the other side to the work with patients is that of hospice shop volunteer.

Like Mrs Russell, Mrs Turner has also shown total commitment to the hospice.

She has given up many Tuesday afternoons during the past 12 years to staff the tills and sort the piles of donated clothes in the Kemp Hospice shops.

This probably made her the longest serving hospice shop worker.

She enthusiastically described the work selling the enormous variety of second-hand donated china, glass, books, crockery and clothing.

Mrs Turner said: "People are so generous.

"We had a beautiful cut glass bowl the other week and we get some great clothes - even designer labels."

She also described some amusing moments - such as the time a pair of false teeth was found in a bag of donated goods.

Mrs Turner is now based at the hospice's Bewdley store in Load Street.

Talking to the volunteers, it was obvious another necessary quality was energy.

Anyone who thinks they too might have some energy to spare to help can contact Alan Ierston at the hospice on 01562 865105.