A DEDICATED volunteer from Pembroke Dock was honoured by the Welsh Ambulance Service as part of a special volunteers’ week earlier this month (June).

Allan Bladen, 57, was one of 270 ambulance car service drivers thanked for their hard work, using their own cars and time to transport patients to hospitals and clinics.

Before retiring in 2012, Allan had worked in the NHS for more than 30 years, spending 10 of those as a mental health support worker at Withybush Hospital.

“It’s something I always wanted to do when I finished work,” said Allan, who became a volunteer after seeing countless patients benefit from the vital service. He drives patients from Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire to and from their appointments two to three days a week.

“I get to meet lots of different people, I like driving and I can work when I want to work,” said Allan.

“I like meeting people, engaging with them and talking about their experiences. Because I have worked in the NHS I can give people useful information and put their minds at ease.

“It’s a chance for me to give something back and do something I love. It’s a worthwhile thing to do, you need a lot of patience and you have to be very understanding.

“Some things can be very upsetting – you might take a person to their appointments on a regular basis and then you hear that he or she is terminal and you don’t see them again.”

When he is not volunteering, Allan enjoys catching up with friends and former colleagues, fishing, watching the football or walking.

He added: “The financial rewards are not great, but the appreciation you get from people who would otherwise not be able get to their appointments is just amazing.

“We provide an essential service for people who aren’t in the best of health and that’s important.”

For more information on becoming a volunteer go to http://www.ambulance.wales.nhs.uk.