Women’s Royal Voluntary Service members receive service awards in 1987

Joan Thornton, of Old Hall Road, had helped at the hospital shop for 20 years.

Joining the WRVS in 1969, Dora Moss, of Chittery Lane, worked on the hospital ward trolley shop. In 1987 she helped taking wheelchair patients on shopping trips around the town.

Also helping with the hospital trolley was Betty Higham, of Park Road, who started helping the luncheon club in 1971.

Three who had each worked for meals on wheels for 15 years were Beryl James, of Springfield Road, Eileen Milligan, of Arrad Foot and Mary Fisher, of Springfield.

The Furness District WRVS Christmas appeal started off on a high note in 1993.

Glaxo helped out with an appeal for good second-hand toys. Bikes and toys flooded in, as well as toiletries, tights, scarves and food.

The toys were distributed to 85 children and five large families received big boxes of toys. Two local creches also received toys.

With the help of the Furness Lions Club, the WRVS delivered 133 food parcels to senior citizens as well as six large family parcels.

The WRVS celebrated its diamond jubilee with a service at Carlisle Cathedral in 1998, attended by about 250 members from across the county, including 26 from the Barrow and Ulverston branches.

Ulverston organiser Ann McCabe and Barrow emergency services organiser Margaret Irvine were chosen to escort the flag bearer to the ceremony.

Mrs Irvine had joined the WRVS nine years previously.

“The old North Lonsdale Hospital had a little tea bar and I always fancied doing it,” she said. “I started on the tea bar, graduated to the office and now I am the emergency services representative.”

Mrs McCabe had joined up nine years previously.

She oversaw several projects in Ulverston including Meals on Wheels, a trolley shop and tea bar at Ulverston Hospital and the Haverrigg Prison creche.