Don Wyman, Chairman of the League of Friends charity at King George Hospital, has appealed for more people to volunteer and help keep its hospital shop up and running.

The shop sells toiletries, snacks and drinks to our patients and visitors. Don said they are on the look-out for people who can volunteer for four-hour shifts in the shop, which is open from 9am to 5pm, seven days a week.

The 85-year-old has been chairman of the league for 24 years, and has been a member for over 40. It continued to raise funds for the hospital when it moved to its current site in Barley Lane in 1993.

Around £1.2million has been raised to make improvements to the hospital for patients and staff under Don’s chairmanship – and he previously received an outstanding achievement award when the charity reached the £1m mark.

Don, of Cranley Drive, Newbury Park, said: “I was a sign-maker before I retired, but I think I have a busier life now! I really enjoy volunteering.

“We have a team of 30 volunteers who run the shop, and it’s really busy. We never close it and even when we are short of volunteers due to holidays or the like, we always find a way to keep it open. But we do need more volunteers.”

Over the years, some of the equipment the charity has provided includes medicine trolleys and blood pressure machines. It also provided picnic table for an outdoor seating area for staff, and fans to keep people cool in the Radiology and Pathology departments.

Funds are also raised by holding regular book sales and the group welcome donations of unwanted books.

If you have any books you’d like to donate, please take them to the League of Friends shop at the main entrance of King George Hospital.

Anyone who would like to find out more about volunteering should contact Marie Leighton on 020 8500 0700.