Volunteers needed to lend a hand in Hospice shop

A local charity needs people willing to volunteer their time to help support one of its Bury St Edmunds shops.

We are on the lookout for people who could help out in our Barton Road shop as volunteers.

The role is a varied and enjoyable one, and it’s a great chance to get more involved in the local community and give something back too.

Having previously volunteered at another Hospice shop, volunteer supervisor Ruth Green moved to the Barton Road shop a few years ago and has been enjoying it ever since.

Ruth said: “To be honest, I volunteer because I just love it. I love getting to meet lots of different people, all of the other volunteers here are great, and we have some really loyal customers here, and you really do get to know them.

“It really is a great place to volunteer. Everyone is friendly. It is also great to be doing something that you know supports the Hospice, which is so important. Honestly, there is no better feeling than putting something out on display in the window, and then it’s sold within 30 minutes. It’s a great feeling, and you really feel like you are helping.

“I first became involved with the Hospice when they supported my late partner. They were there for him, and I started volunteering as a way to give something back for everything they had done.

“We are a really good team at Barton Road, just lots of nice people, and we all get to play to our strengths. It really is a great shop, and it’s a great team to be part of, and there is lots of support for us too.”

The charity can be flexible and would welcome those who could only commit to volunteer for a few hours a week as well as those who can commit to giving more time.

In particular, the charity would love to hear from people who could volunteer on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, Friday mornings and Sundays. All training will be given.

David Nunn, who has been giving his time since 2013 and worked for the hHospice before starting his role as a shop volunteer at Barton Road, said: “From my point of view, after my wife died, I needed something to get me out of the house and I also wanted to be doing something useful. I do enjoy volunteering.

“My role is using the till, but there are lots of other things people can do as well to help. The role is flexible, and you can do as many hours as you want or as few as you’d like.”

If you’d like to learn more about becoming a retail volunteer, please click here. You can also pop into the shop and ask to speak to Andrew.

In this video, Jayne shares a little about her role.