A JUNIOR doctor who has volunteered for the health service since he was 16 has been given an award to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Luke Tester, who works in the A&E department at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, was named as one of the most outstanding volunteers in the UK in the Platinum Champions Awards.

On top of long shifts at the hospital, he dedicates himself to over 1,000 hours of unpaid work a year.

While all award winners will receive a specially designed pin and signed certificate from the Duchess of Cornwall, Luke is one of 70 who has also been invited to celebrate at a special Big Jubilee Lunch in London, and one of only three whose story was filmed and broadcast on the BBC’s The One Show earlier this week.

The 27-year-old said: “It was a massive surprise to me. I couldn’t believe it when The One Show turned up. It was the last thing I was expecting but it is great to receive an award.

“Volunteering makes me feel like I’m part of my community, that I’m giving back to the community.

“It’s incredibly satisfying to see a difference being made, to see things getting better. It’s incredibly gratifying to know that so many people working together are part of that.”

Over the past year, Luke has helped Afghanistan refugees arriving in the UK from their war-torn country and also trained fellow volunteers in providing Covid vaccinations.

He said: “That’s part of the attraction: the different opportunities volunteering provides. I get responsibilities, development, leadership, opportunities to meet new people, experience new things, and attend courses that I can’t get elsewhere.

“I’ve been really fortunate to do that over the last decade or so, and now I’m in a position where I’ve developed a skill set and can help others within the charities.”

The Platinum Champions Awards were launched by the Royal Voluntary Service to honour their patron, Her Majesty the Queen, and her 70 years of service.