Mi DeSilva and her team of dedicated volunteers run the gift shop in the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Together they have worked incredibly hard to relocate the store to the new acute care wing and continue to make the venture a success.

But for Ms DeSilva, it is the camaraderie that the Pink Ladies share that makes the time and effort all worthwhile.

“Initially, the thing we create as a team is the camaraderie,” Ms DeSilva said. “We all click and can ask anything of each other.

“Without my team and the camaraderie we share I would have chucked it in.”

The Devonshire resident is the chairwoman of the Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda (HAB) Gift Shop, which is run entirely by volunteers.

She and five other Pink Ladies make up the “basic team that runs the shop”. Cheryl Adcock, who studied interior design, and Justina Wharton make the shop look beautiful.

Sally Clinton works behind the scenes creating spreadsheets, costing and counting cash and Alda Raposo and Carol Exell help stock the shop.

“We’ve all put in the time and effort and we’ve all tried to learn each other’s job, so if someone is sick or on vacation anyone can jump in and help out,” Ms DeSilva said. “We all complement each other.”

The women are assisted by about 17 cashiers and together they have a blast.

“We’re laughing all the time, but when we know we have to get something done we get it done,” Ms DeSilva said.

“We’re here to volunteer but we want to be able to enjoy ourselves at the same time.”

In September last year, the HAB Gift Shop moved from its old location on the general ward to the new hospital wing.

The team worked “flat out” from February to September to get everything ready and they are incredibly proud of what they have achieved, according to Ms DeSilva.

“I can’t remember how many hours I put in last year, but it was about 390. It was stressful, but once it all came together, it was rewarding.”

Now Ms DeSilva wants people to see the beautiful space they worked so hard to create.

“We want this to be a place you come to buy your gifts. We’re always changing it up so it’s never the same old, same old. People come to us because there is such an unusual selection that people haven’t seen before.”

Ms DeSilva added: “If people use the shop as a destination shop, we can make more money. We just need it known what we are doing.”

The HAB Gift Shop stocks hundreds of items, including jewellery and other gifts, cards, children’s toys, books, snacks and hospital essentials — there is even a coffee station.

Exclusive Willow Tree items that are not available elsewhere on the Island are also sold, as well as handmade baby blankets that are donated by other volunteers.

The funds raised by the shop are used by the HAB to buy special supporting equipment for the hospital and the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute.

This is a cause that is close to Ms DeSilva’s heart because she has “always been drawn to the hospital”. The retired bookkeeper and trained doula — a non-medical support in pregnancy and childbirth — started volunteering in the Pink Café seven years ago.

She then moved to the HAB Gift Shop, of which she has been the chairwoman for about two years.

Her responsibilities include running the shop, ordering merchandise, getting it shipped, costed and priced and then put on the shelves. There is also a good deal of administrative work.

“You take pride in yourself that you are helping,” Ms DeSilva said. “It does make you feel good inside to know that you are doing something for someone else.”

But the shop always needs more people to pitch in and help out. “We’d like to have the shop open longer but we need more volunteers to do that — people that are committed and it’s not a hard job,” Ms DeSilva said.

• For more information or to volunteer, e-mail nancy.oughton@bhb.bm or call 239-1525.

• Do you know an Unsung Hero who deserves recognition? Call Lisa on 278-0137 or e-mail lsimpson@royalgazette.com