Weekend volunteers needed at Hospice shops
At Garden House Hospice Care, we are looking for people to regularly volunteer in our charity shops in and around North Hertfordshire on Saturdays and Sundays.
Nine of our shops across Letchworth, Hitchin, Fairfield, Baldock, Royston and Stevenage are in need of an extra pair of hands to help out at various times over weekends. Volunteers will help with sorting stock, serving customers and displaying items for sale. No experience is necessary, so we welcome "anyone and everyone" to apply.
The Hospice relies on the support of volunteers to raise the £7.7 million needed annually to fund its services in North Hertfordshire and surrounding towns and villages. Our shops make up 1/3 of this income and could not operate without volunteers.
Garden House Hospice Care shop in Hitchin, located on Bancroft
Denise Nicholson volunteers in the Hospice’s Baldock shop on Saturdays:
"Loads of our customers come in every weekend, so you get to know them and it's such a great thing to build up more of a regular clientele. It got to the point where one lady who comes in every weekend jokingly asked me when I was off: ‘Where were you? Did you ask me if you could have a day off?’ and I think that's just lovely.
"I’ve been volunteering for five years now and I still do it because I get just as much enjoyment out of it. I've lived in Baldock over 20 years, but through the Hospice I've met so many more people. It's also nice to feel that you're in some way contributing, that you're giving back."
Volunteer Denise has been involved with the Hospice for five years
Amanda Roberts is Community Engagement Coordinator at Garden House Hospice Care:
"People want to volunteer to make a difference - to improve things or help others. Every volunteer in our shops makes a huge difference to our capacity to provide excellent, individualised care - to put it into perspective, each shift covered could fund a visit to a patient’s home by our community nursing team.
"Not only is the financial impact huge, but volunteering is a positive experience for the volunteer, too. Our recent survey showed that an overwhelming 94% of volunteers who responded are satisfied with their experience, having given something back to the local community while meeting new friends, developing skills and having fun along the way."
Even if you can't commit to a regular shift, we still encourage people to get in touch as we often require volunteers to cover holiday or absences. Visit the links below to find out more and apply, or call the Volunteer Engagement team on 01462 679540 (option 6).
