Worcestershire’s St Richard’s Hospice will be celebrating the tireless support of hundreds of volunteers over the next week (3 – 9 June).
During Volunteers’ Week the hospice will join thousands of charities and voluntary organisations recognising the contribution volunteers make across the UK.
In the 12 months ending in March, St Richard’s volunteers gave more than 110,000 hours of their time to support the charity. There are now 790 volunteers working in 32 different roles across the organisation.
Chief Executive, Mike Wilkerson said, “Our volunteers support every aspect of hospice life, from patient and family care to administration, helping at fundraising events, gardening and working in our charity shops and warehouse.
“We are so grateful for all the time and dedication given by our fantastic volunteers. The time, skills and life experience they give to St Richard’s makes an invaluable contribution to our care.”
St Richard’s will be celebrating and thanking volunteers at a special event at the hospice. They also hope to inspire people to become volunteers by sharing stories from a number of those who give up their time for the charity.
One of these is Tracy Perkins who is a volunteer in the hospice charity shop in Evesham, keeping the bric-a-brac section looking tip-top.
After being made redundant from her job, Tracy decided to try volunteering to keep her busy.
“I enjoy the work in a shop environment and also the social side of being with colleagues and customers,” she explained.
Following a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Tracy has accessed a range of support from the teams at St Richard’s including counselling and Living Well Services.
“For someone contemplating volunteering I would simply say: ‘do it!’,” said Tracy. “It is such a great experience and for such a worthwhile cause.”
St Richard’s also welcomes corporate volunteer teams to donate their time.
Recently a team from Worcester City Council’s Corporate Policy and Strategy service spent the day taking on jobs in the hospice courtyard garden.
“Volunteering at St Richard’s was such a rewarding experience and great way to learn about the invaluable service they provide to the community,” said Natalie Kemp, Corporate Strategy, Performance & Development Officer.
“The staff were welcoming and informative, and it really came across how important volunteers were to the running of the hospice and ensuring its future. Being such a bright and positive place, it was a pleasure to spend time there doing something to benefit others. I would encourage others to find out more and support where possible.”
Find out more about volunteering for St Richard’s on their website https://www.strichards.org.uk/support-us/volunteering/ or by calling the People Services Team on 01905 763963.
St Richard’s Hospice is an independent charity offering free, expert care for adults with an illness that cannot be cured, and support for their loved ones and carers.
Each year the hospice team supports more than 3,100 patients, family members and bereaved people in Worcestershire.
It will cost in the region of £12m to run the hospice this year, which includes patient care and all the necessary support services.
St Richard’s relies on voluntary support, including from donations, gifts in Wills, retail and events for the majority of its income with the remainder funded by the NHS.
For more information about St Richard’s Hospice visit www.strichards.org.uk.
