A volunteer at St Richard's Hospice has been honoured with a prestigious award.

Stella Reeve, of Hallow, will receive the Badge of the Order of Mercy after volunteering at the hospice as a complementary therapist since 2006.

She said: “It is an unexpected honour for me to receive this award. I am very grateful for the encouragement and friendship of the whole hospice team – it has been a real privilege and pleasure to serve alongside them.

“Volunteering has been richly rewarding for me, especially in getting to know many patients and to be able to use aromatherapy to truly complement their other treatments.

“My thanks again to the hospice team for nominating me for the award.”

Mrs Reeve recently retired from the role where she was pivotal in the introduction of aromatherapy oils and studied at the Christie Hospital and The Royal Marsden to aid her work.

The honour is awarded by the League of Mercy, headed by Lord Lingfield and will be presented at a ceremony in September.

Only 50 of the honours are handed out each year, celebrating the very best of the volunteer sector from across the country, and it is only open to those who have volunteered for at least seven years.

Mrs Reeve was nominated by St Richard's Hospice which each year supports more than 3,300 patients, family members and bereaved people in Worcestershire.

Chief Executive June Patel said: “Stella is a truly deserving winner of the Order of Mercy for her service to St Richard’s Hospice, which has gone so much beyond that expected of a volunteer and in the words of a patient, ‘Stella gives a wonderful sense of well-being.’

“Her approach to patient well-being has enlightened our clinical team to the benefits of aromatherapy alongside medical treatment, providing a holistic approach to patient care.

“In particular, Stella has pioneered the use of essential oils in mouth care and this has resulted in significant benefits to patients, relieving conditions such as dry mouth, mouth ulcers and pain. Relief of these debilitating symptoms has afforded patients greatly improved quality of life, nutrition and social interaction.”