Pam's lifelong work for charities is recognised

GUERNSEY Jumbulance founder Pam Bartlett was last night presented with the Specsavers Award for Lifetime Achievement. Mrs Bartlett, 65, began organising annual holidays with the charity for the disabled 20 years ago.

She said the award had taken her aback.

'I was a bit stunned really. I just can't take it in.'

Mrs Bartlett has been a member of the Cheshire Home committee for 15 years and undertakes a food run for it each Saturday.

She is also a Ron Short Centre committee member and has been a member of the St John Ambulance Brigade for almost half a century.

She was once superintendent of its Northern Nursing Cadet Division and continues to work with the organisation as staff officer for competitions

Her Jumbulance role saw her arranging trips for disabled people, helpers, nurses and doctors and she played an invaluable part in fund-raising for these excursions.

'We raise money all-year round. We've got a quiz night coming up and we will do anything as long as it is legal,' she said.

The charity must raise about £20,000 per trip. These costs cover hiring a 40-ft long and almost 8ft-wide bus that can accommodate 24 passengers.

Mrs Bartlett said her efforts had been more than worthwhile and the charity has arranged its first excursion to the UK, a visit to the Eden Centre in Cornwall, from 19 May.

'We have been to Switzerland, Belgium and Austria three times. We have gone to Holland and we go to Lourdes every other year with a priest. One disabled person said we only go to England to go to hospital and we want to go on a holiday there. '

Specsavers co-founder Mary Perkins presented her with a £3,000 holiday voucher and a donation of £1,000 to the charity of her choice.

Mrs Bartlett said she had yet to decide on her holiday destination and had seldom thought of taking a break from her work.

Also shortlisted for the award were National Childbirth Trust Guernsey branch co-founder Jeanne Langford, DGH School of Dancing founder Dorothy Langlois, Sports Council founder member and president Owen Le Vallee. Guernsey Welfare Service volunteer Jean Machon and Community Arts Association founder Joan Ozanne.

Mrs Perkins said the role of charity workers was particularly invaluable in today's culture of public sector spending cutbacks.

'I dread to think what Guernsey would be like without those people who work tirelessly behind the scenes,' she said.

A panel of judges, including Bailiff Geoffrey Rowland, selected the shortlist and islanders were invited to vote for the winner.

'It is an almost overwhelming task to reduce all the nominations to just six when all are so deserving. This award has become the voice of the Guernsey people and they without a doubt have chosen their winner,' said Mrs Perkins.

* Last year's winner was Mother Bernadette, who dedicated much of her life to the upkeep of the Cordier Hill and looked after it during the Occupation.