Vitalise Volunteer Awarded MBE
16 January 2012
Vitalise Volunteer Michael Fieldhouse awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours
Veteran volunteer Michael Fieldhouse has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s 2012 New Years Honours list. Michael, 51, from Cumbria has been volunteering for Vitalise since 2006, having been introduced to the charity by a friend and Vitalise guest.
Michael is the second Vitalise volunteer to receive this accolade. In June last year Pam Cocksedge also received an MBE for her tireless work in support of Vitalise and other good causes.
Impressively, Michael has volunteered at each of Vitalise’s centres across the country, most recently at Netley Waterside House in 2010.
Through his centre volunteering Michael heard about Vitalise Holidays and subsequently became a sighted guide. He has accompanied groups of visually impaired holidaymakers on numerous trips around the world over the years, most recently as a deputy team leader on a Vitalise winter sun holiday to Paphos.
Alongside his energetic involvement with Vitalise, Michael has been an active member in helping his community. He devotes his time to helping in the Church and Scouts, the Town Council and the National Park, and has even transformed the downstairs of his house into a charity shop.
Michael said:
“Volunteering with Vitalise complements my reablement home care work, so in the future I aim to build up my experience giving people the best possible quality of life, especially on holidays.”
Congratulations to Michael from all of us at Vitalise on this well deserved accolade.