I have been volunteering at St Mary’s Hospice for several months now. Having some free time on my hands, I looked in to volunteering. I wanted to apply to St Mary’s Hospice as I was keen to support it as a charity which provides essential support and services to the local community.
My role is as a volunteer in the Orangery Café in Ulverston and it encompasses everything from taking orders, serving food and drinks, clearing tables and even just having a chat if we’re not too busy! I think the thing I enjoy the most about my role is meeting new people as well as getting to know our regular customers and my fellow volunteers.
What makes St Mar’ys Hospice special to me is the dedication and attitude of everyone who works to keep service running, be it staff or volunteers. There can be an assumption that as a provider of end of life care the hospice must be a dreary or somewhat depressing place, but I have not found this to be the case. The enthusiasm and friendliness of all involved has made volunteering at the hospice a pleasure and something which I look forward to.
I would definitely encourage anyone thinking of volunteering at St Mary’s Hospice to give it a go. There are so many different roles, patient or non-patient facing, to suit almost every skill-set or schedule. As a charity, St Mary’s Hospice relies on volunteers and even if you can only spare a few hours, your time really does make a difference.
