A PENSBY woman who has dedicated more than 30 years of her life to volunteering at a Wirral hospital has received a British Empire Medal in the New Year’s Honours list.

Beryl Dare was recognised for her selfless and enthusiastic services to the community after leading the volunteering for the Arrowe Park Hospital League of Friends for 31 years.

The 76-year-old who has held every voluntary position the League of Friends offers - including her current positions of vice chair and personnel manager - told the Globe she feels extremely ‘humbled’ to receive the award.

“It was a complete and utter shock,” said the mother-of-one, whose hard work, passion and generosity has helped the League to raise millions of pounds to provide Arrowe Park with equipment and to enhance its services - including endoscopy scopes and incubators.

“There was a little pile of mail that I thought was all advertising mail – I couldn’t believe what I was opening.

“I feel quite humbled really because I have totally enjoyed all my volunteering work for 31 years and still do enjoy it.

“I’m very pleased that somebody put me up for it – I have an idea who it is and I just want to thank them for nominating me.”

As one of the longest serving volunteers, Mrs Dare’s superb inter-personal skills and powers of persuasion have helped her to work successfully under four Trust Chief Executives, four Trust Chairman and numerous Presidents of the League.

She was instrumental in identifying the need for and development of a League of Friends shop in the hospital, which started life as a trolley service to wards.

“All of the profits from the shop go right back into the hospital and we have been able to buy some equipment that the hospital wouldn’t have.

“We are now in our third million of the 31 years – we have spent £112,000 in just 2013.”

Mrs Dare, who describes the League as a ‘very happy group’, first joined 31 years ago after going along to the hospital’s open day.

“People were asking for volunteers and I put my name down. I started more or less right away.

“I really enjoy it – in the shop you get to talk to people and I love talking to the children when they come with their parents. I just really love it – I am very happy and I will carry on volunteering for as long as I can.”

The gong, reserved for volunteers who have made a hands-on contribution to their community, was reintroduced by the Government in 2012 after being scrapped by the previous Conservative Prime Minister John Major in 1993.

It is presented by lord lieutenants, representatives of the Monarch in the counties, rather than the Queen.