Win Wins Gucci!

When Su Fuller, our administrator at Freshfields saw an appeal in the Plymouth Herald for readers to nominate a Plymouth person who they felt deserved an extra special early Christmas present this year, she had no hesitation in putting forward the name of Freshfields volunteer, Win Darlington.

Su Fuller said: “I nominated Win because there is nothing she won’t do at Freshfields if she can.

“Even though her husband, Bill, passed away after receiving care at Freshfields six years ago, Win comes in every day to volunteer from 9:30-4:00, helping out in all sorts of ways, including doing the raffles.

“If she sees someone who needs help sitting down or walking she’s there – she is family, a part of our staff.

“She is hard-working and selfless, and I’m delighted the judges of the competition agreed.”

The Plymouth Herald ran the 24-hour competition in association with local jewellers Michael Spiers offering a set of Gucci jewellery worth £1,100 for someone ‘worthy’ who would otherwise be unlikely to have such items.

An anonymous client of the jewellers had won the items in a charity auction but decided to give them away to a local person who was deemed to have done something special and really deserved such a gift.

The judges, including the anonymous benefactor, sifted through hundreds of entries before deciding that 80-year-old Win should be their winner.

The grandmother was put forward by Su Fuller to win the sterling silver set bracelet, necklace and watch set as a way of thanking Win for her hard work as a volunteer at Freshfields.

Win was out shopping in Exeter with her granddaughters when she received the phone call from Su telling her she had won. She said she could hardly believe it and she couldn’t stop beaming with delight.

Su said she called Win straight away after finding out she had won.

Win said: “It was brilliant when Su said I had won, I replied ‘oh my gosh!’

“I couldn’t stop shaking, it was completely overwhelming – I’m really happy.”

Win added that she had never owned a jewellery set of such value and couldn’t wait to wear it.

She was presented with her prize by Keith White MBE, Managing Director of Cornwall Street Michael Spiers on December 15.