Petworth woman honoured by the Queen for voluntary work

A Petworth woman who has managed the Nurses Benevolent Fund for 30 years has been honoured by the Queen.
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Mrs Joyce Azis has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the community in Petworth in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

A case study from the honours list said the 76-year-old, of Sheepdown Drive, has an excellent record of voluntary service.

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“In 2013, she was given the Exceptional Service Award by the British Arts Festivals Association (BAFA) a national award within the Arts for volunteers,” it said.

“She has been a trustee for The Nursing Benevolent Fund and the Ashington, Wiston and Warminghurst (AWW) Sick Fund since 1987 and chairman since 1992.

“Both funds are jointly administered and stem from the time communities looked after their deserving servants or poor prior to the introduction of the welfare system.

“The original purpose of Ashington Fund was to benefit district nurses for those villages.

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“For over 30 years she had managed the Nurses Benevolent Fund within the Charity Commission’s guidelines, organised meetings, approved around 2,000 grants or gifts and maintained funds by recruiting appropriate trustees.

“AWW responds to specific requests from individuals in need, or requests from agencies, including the Citizens Advice Bureau, homeless charities and organisations, helping those with mental health problems.

“She does her best to ensure grants make a difference in the lives of the disadvantaged and often reminds her team of impending financial pressures affecting the elderly, making certain they are able to keep warm by contributing to

heating costs.”

Find out who else was honoured by the Quen at: https://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/1.8526929