A retired nurse has received a special long service award for her incredible 30 years of service to the Launceston Marie Curie Fundraising Group.

Vera Humby was presented with the award by Lynda Thomas, Cornwall fundraising area manager at The Eagle House Hotel on Saturday, February 19.

As well as her award, Vera was given a large bunch of daffodils donated by Fentongollan Farms.

Vera moved to Cornwall in 1992 and joined Marie Curie as a nurse providing end of life care across the whole of Cornwall and parts of Devon. She had previously been a nurse within the NHS.

After Vera retired from nursing, she became an avid fundraising volunteer for Marie Curie and continued until she stepped from her role as the chairperson of the Launceston fundraising group since it formed in 2010. In this time, along with her fellow members, this small group raised just over £50,000.

Vera says she has loved meeting so many people over the years and so happy to have nursed for Marie Curie knowing the difference it has made to so many families at such a difficult time.

A group spokesperson said: “Vera was not your stereotypical chairperson and our meetings often also covered shoes and holidays and we must not forget her right hand man, her husband John who was a huge help with emails and providing us all with tea and biscuits! Although now retired from the fundraising group, Vera continues to look after the yellow daffodil collection pots around Launceston and enjoys volunteering to fundraise for the charity.”

Vera has expressed her thanks to her fellow fundraising group members Sue, Judith, June, Jenny, Tracey and Vanessa for all their help and support, plus all the people of Launceston who have been so generous and made it a pleasure to chair the group.

If anyone would like to join this friendly little group, or find out more about fundraising for Marie Curie, visit mariecurie.org.uk/volunteer or contact the group direct through Launceston Marie Curie Fundraising Group on Facebook.

The spokesperson added: “We’d love to hear from anyone who may like to make some new friends whilst helping raise funds to continue to provide end of life care and support for the terminally ill and their family in their own homes.”