ONE winter morning Maureen Buy saw an advert in the Oxford Mail for a part-time job at the charity Relate Oxfordshire.

Twenty-five years later she has been named one of the group’s heroes for her years of dedication to the organisation.

For the past quarter of a century she has worked there as a receptionist, administrator and finance worker.

Mrs Buy, who lives with her husband, Ian, in Iffley, said: “I just saw an advert in the Oxford Mail for two-and-a-half hours one morning a week on reception. It was cash in hand back then.

“My children – Trevor and Cheryl, now 30 and 29 – were little back then so it was a nice way to get money.

“I had an interview and then started working there in November 1989.”

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Relate provides free counselling, professional mediation, face-to-face counselling, and courses for parents and children at sites in Iffley Road, Bicester, Banbury, Abingdon and Witney.

The longest-serving staff member of the Oxfordshire branch, she was named as one of 10 people from across the charity’s national groups to be honoured at its annual meeting in November.

The 56-year-old said: “At first I was just answering the phone, making appointments and letting clients in.

“But my role has grown with me as the charity has grown.

“Every time we got a new manager my role seems to change – it’s expanded considerably.”

She now works 32 hours a week as the finance officer, and said: “I took on the financial side of Relate Oxfordshire when a manager became ill, so that expanded things.

“Then they developed a training team and they needed someone to train that so I said I’d do it.

“I’ve definitely grown as a person working here. I have got much more confidence in myself.

“Working here has made me look at things from a different perspective as the range of people you work with come from all different aspects of life. I have learnt that relationships are definitely give and take and there are always two sides to a story.

“Now I try not to jump into a situation, but step back and analyse it before giving an opinion. It’s hard sometimes, but it is important.”

Working at Relate Oxfordshire has become a family affair, as Mrs Buy’s daughter also works part-time at the charity as a receptionist. Mrs Buy said: “I often talk to my family about things that I pick up at work, and Cheryl has been on a few of the courses we run.

“My family think I’ll always work here and never leave. I certainly have no plans to retire for the foreseeable future.”

Her boss, general manager Alison Frecknall, said: “We are very proud that Maureen has been recognised as a Relate hero as she has worked tirelessly to support me, several of my predecessors and all of our colleagues in providing a service that helps people build and enjoy healthy relationships, and it is great that she has been rewarded.”

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