Volunteers who offer their skills and experience to help St Richard’s Hospice care for patients with life-threatening illnesses and support their families are being recognised in a series of events.
The week of events marks national Volunteers Week, 1-12th June, which aims to celebrate the contribution that volunteers make to their communities. Almost 1,000 volunteers currently support St Richard’s Hospice, offering their far reaching and diverse talents, skill and commitment for the benefit of the hospice’s patients and families.
On Sunday 12th June St Richard’s Hospice will be hosting a special cream tea event for its volunteers in appreciation of their hard work over the last year. The event will be held in the beautiful serene gardens at the hospice’s Wildwood Drive headquarters. The event will include entertainment from the talented British Champion Irish dancers and Mandy Harding, saxophonist and St Richard’s volunteer driver.
St Richard’s will also show its appreciation for hospice volunteers who have retired from their roles over the last 12 months with a special celebration lunch in the hospice’s garden marquee. On Thursday 9th June the special guests will be treated to a sumptuous three course lunch prepared by the hospice’s skilled chefs, in thanks for their dedication and commitment.
St Richard’s volunteers help to support every aspect of hospice life, from fundraising and working in the charity’s shops, to supporting patients within their own homes and hospice administration, bringing their life skills and experience, their commitment and dedication to support the compassionate care the hospice provides for patients and their families. Last year, dedicated hospice supporters gave 156,000 hours of their time to help the hospice care for patients and their families, saving the charity £1,112,000.
In a recent survey, one St Richard’s volunteer commented; “It is lovely to be meeting new people that I work with and to chat to the customers that come in, getting to know the regulars and what they are looking for. I take pride in hearing people say what a lovely shop it is. It’s giving me experience working in retail and is helping me with my confidence.”
A wide range of volunteering opportunities is currently available at St Richard’s Hospice, with vacancies based at the hospice headquarters and in the hospice’s chain of 17 shops. Other vacancies exist for volunteers who would like to support patients in their own community.
Volunteering offers an opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and build confidence and self-esteem. Taking on a volunteer role at St Richard’s could help individuals gain transferable marketable skills that will help enhance anyone’s CV and career.
Anna Wharrier, Volunteer Services Coordinator at St Richard’s Hospice said; “We couldn’t run the hospice as we do without the vital help and support we receive from our volunteers. We are eternally grateful to each one for their dedication and generosity. Many people tell us that volunteering with us has made a huge difference to them, both personally and professionally. There are always opportunities to join our team of volunteers, whatever skills individuals may bring, and we would be delighted to hear from anyone who may be interested in donating a few hours to help us care.”
The hospice runs regular open days, with the next one to be held at the hospice’s Worcester site on Tuesday 21st June. Anyone interested in volunteering is invited to contact the hospice’s Volunteer Services Coordinator on 01905 763963 or to visit our volunteering pages.