Salisbury Hospital’s longest-serving staff member to attend Platinum Party at Buckingham Palace

The Stars Appeal has awarded two tickets to the Platinum Jubilee Party taking place at Buckingham Palace to Salisbury Hospital’s longest-serving member of staff, Mike Penney.

Inspired by the Queen’s long service, the Stars Appeal decided to give the tickets to the Hospital’s longest-serving staff member and a guest. The Stars Appeal is also covering the costs of travel and accommodation.

Mike has worked at Salisbury Hospital for over 43 years. Starting in August 1978 as a Catering Assistant, Mike then worked as a Porter for 27 years before taking on his current role as Storeman in 2010.

Mike said, “I’m very proud to have worked at the Hospital for so long and it has been great to see so many enhancements in medical care during my time here. I am touched to have been recognised by the Stars Appeal for my long service. I’m really looking forward to going to the Palace and enjoying the live music.”

‘Platinum Party at the Palace’ is the BBC concert that is being organised in London as part of Her Majesty The Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee celebrations taking place on the 4th June 2022.

The evening will bring together the world’s biggest entertainers, in celebration of Her Majesty The Queen becoming the first British monarch to reign for seventy years.

22,000 guests are being invited to attend the concert; with 10,000 tickets issued by the BBC to winners of the public ballot, and the remaining tickets being offered to representatives of patronages of The Queen and Members of the Royal Family, along with key workers, volunteers, community leaders, members of the military, activists, educators, and young people from around the UK.

As an NHS charity, the Stars Appeal was allocated two tickets for the event due to the Royal Patronage of TRHs The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge of the membership organisation, NHS Charities Together.

Nick Marsden, Chairman of Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust and Chairman of the Trustees of the Stars Appeal said, “We are delighted to be able to show our gratitude to Mike for the 43 years he has dedicated to Salisbury Hospital by awarding him these tickets for this very special event and we are grateful to NHS Charities Together for their role in making this possible and their ongoing support.”