Margaret's work as a volunteer rewarded with royal ceremony

SICK KIDS volunteer Margaret Grant has been chosen by the WRVS to attend the Queen's Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.

Most parents who have to attend the Sick Kids Hospital cannot wait to leave safe in the knowledge their child is fit and well again.

Margaret Grant, however, a grandmother-of-two, who lives in Newington, has continued to volunteer for more than 40 years since she first walked through the doors with her young son Alan.

Now 64, she has raised thousands of pounds for the hospital, run the shop, offered support to paramedics and hospital staff and provided a shoulder to cry on for countless parents.

Despite being suddenly widowed in 1981, when her husband James suffered a heart attack, and being left to raise two teenagers, she never failed to put other people first.

Her devotion to helping others inspired her daughter Alison to become a charity manager. Her son Alan, now 44, required treatment for the rare disease Perthis, which caused one hip to develop faster than the other, and required nine years of treatment until he was 11, including wearing heavy calipers on his leg to influence the growth.

Alison, 41, of Portobello, said: "Even after he had them taken off she continued to volunteer at the Sick Kids, it was the only way she could think of to pay them back.

"Our dad died quite suddenly. But even then she still kept on volunteering, she never took a break, regardless of what's happened in her life she just kept going.

"She's at the hospital for parents who come in and are a bit upset, she sees that as part of the service."

Mrs Grant has never sought praise for the work she does, and even turned out the chance to apply for paid positions at the hospital to continue in the role of volunteer.

However, voluntary organisation, the WRVS is well aware of the huge contribution she makes and two years ago selected her to attend a civilian guard of honour in London.

Before she volunteered at the hospital she spent 13 years working as a home help and carer, and did shopping for the disabled. She has also run a social club for stroke victims.

Alison said: "She fully intends to keep up volunteering. I'm so proud of her. It is a shame that sometimes unassuming people don't get the publicity that they deserve as I think that would attract more people to do these kinds of things.

"She says she would recommend volunteering to anyone."