Christine Rutter spends a day on the hospital trolley run with the Women's Royal Voluntary Service

NEVER since I reluctantly took part in a 100m sprint for my secondary school sports day had I been forced to move at such an abnormal pace.

Pensioner Rene Holdsworth, team leader for the refreshments trolley service at Blackburn Infirmary, was escorting me along the hospital corridors like a whippet chasing a rabbit.

Our race ended when we found double act Audrey Astley and Mary Shorrock - good friends and regulars on the trolley run - who I joined for two hours on their weekly rounds. Staff gasping for a brew ran at me from every angle with coffee cups in outstretched hands.

Hospital staff member Mrs Gail Smith told me: "The volunteers do a great service and they give their time up free - not many people would do that. Very often I am so busy I wouldn't get a brew if it wasn't for the volunteers."

The outpatients looked just as pleased at our arrival as they queued in orderly fashion for refreshments.

As I poured tea and handed out the chocolates to staff and outpatients, the story of Audrey and Mary's decision to volunteer unravelled. "My husband, father and mother were in and out of hospital and this is my way of saying thank you to the staff for looking after them," said Audrey, 61, of Devon Road, Blackburn. Former Marks and Spencer employee Mary, 69, of East Park Road, Blackburn, explained: "I worked with people all my life so when I retired I didn't want to sit at home and mope so I became a volunteer. It is nice to give something back to society."

Rene said: "Outpatients and staff greatly appreciate us. Staff could be busy with no time to make a brew. Ambulance staff may need refreshments in between going out to accidents and outpatients may be bored sitting waiting to see a specialist. We cater for all."

Audrey and Mary have already raised £7,000 in profits from their tea trolley, which they donated to the SuperScan Appeal.

Mary said: "Any profits we make have to be ploughed back into the health service."

Audrey added: "People just cannot believe that we would do this for free. To us, that is not what matters. We get paid in different ways - satisfaction for one."

It is not difficult to see why. These ladies are indispensable in the hospital - a fact confirmed by one staff member who said: "We would be lost without them. They do a great job and are so friendly."

In an hour I had sold 100 brews, 50 snacks and was ready for a sit down.

But not Mary and Audrey. They were off on their second round in a hour, leaving me in their staff room to recuperate.

June 1-7 is Volunteers Week

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.