A team of volunteers in Wrexham have paid tribute to a popular colleague who has died unexpectedly.

British Red Cross Wrexham Welfare Team volunteer Lyndon Roberts, 51, was found dead at his home in Wrexham on Friday, November 17.

Mr Roberts, a nurse at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, had been a Red Cross volunteer since 2015 and had clocked up 450 hours at the Wrexham welfare centre alone.

The team give up their Saturday nights to help people who come into difficulty or need support during an evening out, working from 10pm until 4.30am and providing first aid as well as emotional and practical support.

During his time with the team, Mr Roberts helped hundreds of people including one distressed woman who was threatening to end her own life.

Mr Roberts, whose funeral takes place at Pentrebychan Crematorium at noon today , was commended for his work when the welfare team was awarded the Red Cross’ highest honour – the Dunant Award – earlier this year.

He was also on standby as a Red Cross team leader in Cardiff ready to help in the event of an emergency on the night the UEFA Champions League final was played in the Welsh capital in June.

Red Cross Wrexham welfare colleague Michelle McBurnie said: “Lyndon’s experience made him a great mentor to younger and less experienced volunteers and he would often use quiet times on duties to explain more complex ailments and treatments to those who don’t have that knowledge or encourage them to practice their skills. 

“Lyndon’s approachable and supportive nature meant he was able to instill confidence in many who grew to look on him as the go-to person when they were unsure about something.

“We will remember Lyndon for his warm and compassionate nature, his wicked sense of humour, his weird and wonderful snippets of knowledge and gruesome stories from his time nursing in tropical diseases.

“He is already missed massively by his Red Cross family and there is a hole in the heart of the welfare team that will never be filled.”

British Red Cross director for Wales Chris Hopkins said: “Lyndon was a much-loved and dedicated member of the Wrexham welfare team who gave up his Saturday nights to help people in the community in which he lived.

“He regularly went above and beyond what was expected of him and brought to his role a level of professionalism, experience and expertise that was highly-valued by his colleagues and the people he helped.

“Lyndon represented everything that is good about the Red Cross and was the embodiment of our values, supporting vulnerable people in often challenging circumstances without judgement and with immense compassion.

“It saddens us all to think he is no longer with us and we are thinking about his family at this difficult time.”

Lyndon Roberts was born in North Wales on March 12, 1966, the son of Raymond and Cery Roberts.

He worked as a nurse in London, Liverpool and North Wales and, in 2012, gained a diploma in tropical medicine from the world-famous Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

Lyndon is survived by his father.