almoner

The combination of almoner service and regular masses gave the 'patients their chance of rehabilitation'.

(20) In 1937, Norma Parker commented that if she accepted an almoner position at Wellington Hospital, New Zealand she would 'be leaving the field clear' to non-Catholic social workers at a time when there were no Catholic qualified social workers in Sydney, except Eileen Davidson.

IJF president Lord Oaksey says: "The meetings are businesslike but invariably lively, as the almoners do their best for those on their books and the trustees seek to ensure fairness and consistency.

Kate O'Neill, one of our northern almoners, has since then provided care and support to Tessa.

In 40 years of fundraising, the IJF has helped more than 1,000 jockeys and their dependents, of whom 800 are on the books today, receiving assistance that ranges from help with a mortgage or a state-of-the-art wheelchair to a home visit and friendly advice from one of eight almoners.

When you do, you realise just what a job chief executive Jeremy Richardson and the IJF almoners have done over the years.

Jockeys past and present joined the princess - who succeeded the Queen Mother as the IJF's patron - along with trustees, almoners, staff

Helen Fairburn will take over her role as one of the IJF's two northern almoners - Elaine Wiles is the other - when Sarah stands down early next month.

holiday for the almoners, who work so hard, but their unstinting efforts ensured that everybody else had a great time.

Seldom still for more than 30 seconds, she plays a blinder from start to finish, along with fellow almoners Sarah York and Serena Oxley, who is retiring from her Newmarket beat after 17 years.

The IJF has ten unpaid trustees, who meet at least eight times a year, five almoners, who do all the field work, and a small staff manning a hectic Newmarket office under the guidance of chief executive Jeremy Richardson.