Manny Hammond (with intro)

Manny Hammond, a volunteer ambassador, wanted to express his gratitude to the staff and volunteers at the Royal Free Hospital after receiving treatment there. He organized a music event as a way of saying thank you. The first concert was a success, and they raised money for the hospital. Manny's goal is to raise £10,000, and he is halfway there. He believes it's an important way to show appreciation for the hard work of the NHS. Manny encourages others to get involved and help in any way they can. Volunteer ambassadors are individuals who share a passion for supporting hospitals, and information on becoming one can be found on the Royal Free Charity website. Manny Hammond is one of our volunteer ambassadors. After he was treated at the Royal Free Hospital, Manny wanted to find a way to say thank you to the staff and volunteers who cared for him. Back to 1970 when I first had an operation at Royal Free, they removed a lump on my neck to be part of the cancer family. Ever since then I've been, you know, taking well care of here in Royal Free Hospital. It became our second home for many, many years. I appreciate the help of the volunteers and I've always wanted to do something. The only thing I could think of is to arrange a music event and that way at least say thank you to the staff. Our first concert took place I think it was December of 21st, 2021. That lasted for over two hours. Everybody wanted to join in so I couldn't say no to all these volunteer singers and performers. We raised a bit of money so I said yeah let's carry on. My target's £10,000 and I think I'm halfway through that now. Well it's the last last of my things to do in my bucket, let's put it that way. So once I reach that I will have a drink or two. It's a very important part of my life. I enjoy meeting people. They all appreciate the hard work that the NHS do for for us. Don't think twice, just get involved because there's so much opportunity for anybody to come in and help in any way. I wouldn't hesitate at all. I just love love helping people. The amount of time I spent here and the amount of time all the doctors and nurses and people have sort of looked after me and there's no great way to say thank you and to be part of it. Volunteer ambassadors are people who share our passion for helping our hospitals go further and faster for the people they care for. Head to the Royal Free Charity website to find out how you could become a volunteer ambassador.