Page 11 - Ashgate Hospicecare News 2018

Denise’s Story
“I’ve always felt very strongly about the cause. I remember before Ashgate Hospicecare opened, we desperately needed a hospice in this area. The closest one we had was in Sheffield and when somebody is ill, Sheffield is a very long way to go. It’s important that the Hospice is in a place where friends and family can get to easily to visit their loved ones.
It’s so important for everybody in this area and for future generations that the Hospice continues. It’s such a lovely place for people to be able to go to and it’s not just for the person who is ill, it’s for their families and friends too. We didn’t think we were going to need it, but we’ve actually had family and friends here. It’s important that everybody realises that the Hospice cares for people of all ages with all different kinds of illnesses. It’s so important that
people keep volunteering and fundraising for the Hospice. About four years ago, I was
fortunate to retire early and so I started to look into volunteering at Ashgate. I first started volunteering at the shop in Clay Cross but then we moved to
the Donation Centre at Hasland where new opportunities
arose. I had wanted to do more hours and saw that there was a vacancy helping out with eBay and Amazon goods. I didn’t know that the Hospice sold things online, but it’s a really interesting role, I absolutely
love it! I look out for items to
sell online, and now I also sort donations and help out with the new goods for the shops. Like many people, I didn’t realise that there was such a wide range of volunteering opportunities here. Any way that somebody can help is always gratefully received.
Volunteering has also given
me the chance to do a basic counselling skills course, something I would never have thought of doing or have had the chance to do if I wasn’t here. That course has been really useful for the role I am doing and in everyday life as it gives you a better understanding of people. It’s also something that I may be able to use in the future if I decide to go into counselling. The work at the donation centre can be quite physical at times, so if I can’t continue doing it later in life, I have thought about
going into a role where I can use my counselling skills.
If you’re thinking about volunteering, I’d say, give it a go! In my opinion, the benefits you get from volunteering far outweigh anything you get from doing a paid job. You meet lots of great people who are all working passionately towards the same cause. You can help to make sure that Ashgate is always here for us.”
Interested in volunteering?
Since we started the campaign at the beginning of the year, 87 new volunteers have joined us
in varying roles! However, there are still many opportunities available that we need help with.
If you would like to see what volunteer roles we have available, please visit our website www.ashgatehospicecare.org.uk/volunteer or call our volunteer recruitment team on 01246 568801.
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