Volunteering for St Clare Hospice is a family affair for sisters Joy and Gill. Joy is a pastoral support volunteer working alongside St Clare’s Patient and Family Support Team, while Gill helps facilitate the Hospice’s Dementia Carers Café on a Thursday morning.
Joy said: “The people here at the Hospice are just wonderful and I find volunteering a joyful experience. From the moment you walk in you can ‘feel the love’.
“I look forward to coming every week and it makes me feel part of the working world. We undertake training, we have meetings, we are part of a team and for me, that’s really important.
“We all want to be occupied and have a reason and purpose in life, and you can’t go wrong by coming here. It’s an amazing place and the whole ethos is about living your best life.”
Joy added: “It’s such a cliché to say I volunteer to give something back, but it’s so true! It doesn’t matter what skills or experience you’ve got, there’s something for everybody and you will get back so much more than you give.
“Volunteering for St Clare has been such an uplifting journey and I’m always amazed at the support provided for the volunteers.”
Gill said: “My first contact with the Hospice was when Joy suggested I come along to the bereavement café after my husband, Paul, died. That was towards the end of Covid, and I still go along from time to time.
“But I was looking for something to keep me busy, and heard they were recruiting volunteers for the Dementia Carers’ Café on a Thursday morning. Since I’ve been volunteering, the number of people who come along each week has gradually increased and we’re like a little family. People feel comfortable coming here and there’s a lot of support for them, which is so important.”
Gill continued: “Volunteering for St Clare gives me something to do. I like the people who come along to the café and I want to help them. A couple of times over the years since losing Paul, I’ve met people who have really helped me and that’s a special feeling.
“To be able to tell someone else who knows what’s to come that you life doesn’t end after someone you love dies, is really important. As a volunteer, I’m able to give people hope and show them they’re not alone.
“I get so much out of being a St Clare volunteer. You’ll always find new friends and get a warm welcome from like-minded people. It’s just a really nice thing to do with your time and I’d highly recommend it.”
If you’d like to find out how you can make a difference as a St Clare Hospice volunteer, check out our current vacancies.