Staff and volunteers celebrate over 5,000 combined years of service

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) has celebrated the achievements and dedication of its staff and volunteers at its annual Long Service Awards event.

The ceremony took place on Tuesday 2 June at the Pavilions of Harrogate, where the Trust recognised the commitment of 190 members of staff and 68 volunteers with a combined total of over 5,000 years of service.  80 staff were in attendance and were presented with their long service award for 20, 30, 40 or 50 years in the NHS, as well as King’s and Queen’s Long Service and Good Conduct Medals, given to colleagues with 20 years’ exemplary frontline emergency service.  The 26 volunteers who attended received awards for every five years of service. Those unable to attend the event will receive their awards locally in the coming weeks.

The awards were presented by YAS Chair Martin Havenhand, the Deputy Lieutenant for North Yorkshire Rebecca Cottrell and the Deputy Lieutenant for West Yorkshire Dr Yvette Oade.

Awardees included 14 colleagues who have reached a remarkable 40 years’ service and one colleague who has completed 50 years’ service before retiring. Events Operational Commander Mike Crosby started his career in the ambulance service in February 1976 as a vehicle mechanic in the Sheffield workshops.  He carried out various roles within the Fleet team before moving to the Events team in 2012. Mike will be receiving his award in South Yorkshire.

This year, thanks to funding from the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charity, long-serving YAS volunteers were able to join the annual event for the first time. YAS has approximately 1,000 volunteers giving their own time as community first responders, Patient Transport Service car drivers, as members of our Critical Friends Network and most recently as community engagement volunteers across Yorkshire and the Humber.

The event, which also coincided with Volunteers’ Week, recognised 68 volunteers who have given a total of 717 years of service. You can read more about some of the recipients on the Trust’s website: https://www.yas.nhs.uk/news/media-releases/media-releases-2026/volunteers-week-2026/

Janet Flint MBE celebrated her retirement following 22 years of dedicated service as a community first responder in Appleton Roebuck, near Selby. Janet joined the Appleton Roebuck scheme when it was established in 2003 because she cared deeply about her community and wanted to make a practical difference. Over the years, she has helped to save lives and supported countless patients and families, often finding that even a few words of comfort can make a big difference in difficult moments.

Steve Hudson, Community First Responder Team Leader, said: “Janet has given incredible service over the past 22 years. She has always been so friendly and helpful, and the kind of person who would do anything for anyone. She has been a fantastic ambassador for the Community First Responder role, helping to promote it so positively, and her support as the scheme coordinator and the wider team has been truly valued.”

Peter Reading, Chief Executive at YAS, said: “Our annual Long Service Awards are an opportunity to recognise the incredible hard work and dedication of our colleagues, and I’m delighted that our volunteers joined us this year for the first time. All of our awardees should feel immensely proud of their achievements, and we thank them for their many years of service to patients, local communities and colleagues across the region.”