A COSSHAM hospital volunteer has vowed to keep up her work despite turning 95.
Eileen Savage has been giving up her time to raise funds for the hospital for more than 30 years.
In that time, she has made 700 tissue box holders shaped like cottages, which she sells in aid of Cossham League of Friends.
Eileen, who was born in Eastville and spent most of her life in Fishponds, has six children, seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. She began volunteering in 1992 after the death of her husband.
When someone showed her a design for a tapestry cottage tissue box holder, she settled on this as a way of generating money for the group.
Her designs have been bought to send to people all over the world, and she has even made special orders for people she’s met on cruises.
Most memorably, she made a special ambulance-shaped tissue box cover as a thank you for a paramedic who helped her at home when she was unwell.
Her daughter, Janet Paice, wrote online: “Mum has been making cottages for tissue boxes for 30 plus years and has sold them all over the place, even taking orders when she was cruising.
“When she was ill earlier this year we had to call an ambulance and the paramedic noticed one of the cottages and said she would like to have one for her desk like her ambulance.
“So we took a few photos and Mum produced this one as a one-off for her paramedic.
“She also collects up strips of knitting and crochet squares and joins them up and crochets around the edges to make over-knee blankets for the elderly.”
Eileen, who lives at Woodland Court retirement village in Downend, has also made little lace Easter baskets.
Over the years, Eileen has also served teas and coffees in the League of Friends café, been a trustee of the charity, and helped price up items for sale by the group.
She said: “I quite enjoyed helping out. It got me out of the house.
“The tapestry keeps my fingers active and my brain ticking over and it’s great to be helping out.
” I’m going to keep going!”
Kat Tudor, Volunteer Services Manager at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: “It’s wonderful that Eileen has volunteered for the Cossham League of Friends for more than 30 years now.
“To have made 700 of these tapestry tissue holders, and show no sign of stopping, is such an amazing feat and we are so thrilled that Eileen continues to support us. Thank you.”