AS celebrations continue to mark the Queen's 50th year on the throne, the British Red Cross is paying tribute to a Southampton volunteer in her own golden jubilee year of service.

For 50 years Wendy Knight has dedicated more than 500 hours a year to the work of the service, for which she was rewarded by the Queen in 1997 with an MBE.

However, the 66-year-old from Ennel Copse in North Baddesley started working for the charity at the age of 16 almost by accident.

She said: "There was nothing to do in my village when I was young, so when the Red Cross decided to hold a first-aid course here, it was very successful and everybody joined."

Her most poignant service memory was in 1956 during the Hungarian uprising when 5,000 refugees arrived in Hampshire, and the Red Cross was charged with caring for them.

She said: "After the uprising, a number of refugees arrived in Hampshire and I helped to run a camp for them, ensuring they were getting the right food and had somewhere to sleep.

"The local Red Cross actually adopted one of the Hungarian boys, who was 17 and had lost both parents. We found him a bike and a job. He couldn't speak English and we couldn't speak Hungarian, but we managed somehow, and through the Red Cross family-tracing service, he did eventually find some of his relatives."

As an auxiliary to the UK government, the British Red Cross supports the UK statutory services by caring for people in crisis. Thousands of vulnerable people are helped each year through a range of services, from first-aid cover at public events to projects to empower young people.

Philip Rosser, head of volunteering at the British Red Cross, said: "We are indebted to Red Cross volunteers like Wendy who have selflessly given up their time to help others for 50 years.

"The Queen's Jubilee is a time to remember their hard work, energy, enthusiasm, and overwhelming sense of commitment to the British Red Cross since 1952."

For more information, contact Ruth Hillenbrand on 020 7201 5440 or e-mail her at rhill@redcross.org.uk