Lesley Fryer, who has been a member of the Cobar Hospital Auxiliary for more than 30 years, has been honoured with Life Membership of the United Hospital Auxiliaries (UHA) of NSW.
Life Membership is the highest honour that can be bestowed on a UHA member.
Since 1953 only a handful of nominees have been granted that honour each year and each must have served a minimum of 15 years and held an executive position within a branch.
Mrs Fryer has served on the Cobar committee in various roles over the past 30 years and has been an active member of the organisation assisting with the group’s various fundraising activities for the hospital.
Mrs Fryer joined the committee when it re-formed in 1987 taking on the role of vice president. (The Cobar branch was originally formed in 1937 and was active for some time before going into recession.)
She was later elected president and held the position for seven years, before once again serving as vice president for a further 15 years.
Mrs Fryer has shown dedication beyond the ordinary and used her leadership skills to promote the Cobar branch within the community.
For the past 30 years she has been actively involved with a range of fundraising activities including: lamington drives; a Euchre tournament, a highly successful garden party in the hospital grounds; and helped to compile a recipe book that was sold as a fundraiser for the group.
Mrs Fryer also helped to establish and furnish a visitors’ room at the hospital and to create a palliative care room for terminally ill patients.
She has represented the Cobar branch at UHA Regional and State conferences and Zone Days.
Mrs Fryer currently holds the position of vice president and is also the group’s patron.
Cobar Hospital Auxiliary president Sharon Harland said the committee was thrilled to receive the news from UHA.
“It’s a great honour and we are very proud that Lesley’s many years of service to the organisation has been recognised with a Life Membership honour,” Mrs Harland said.
“It’s the first time that one of our members has been made a UHA Life Member,” she said.
The UHA of NSW will formally announce and present their Life Membership badges to a number of members at the Annual State Conference in Tweed Heads in October.
It’s not expected that Mrs Fryer will be attending and so her badge and certificate will be mailed out to her.
