Weston Hospicecare covers a large area; we serve the communities of Clevedon, Cheddar, Axbridge, Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea as well. We’re exceptionally proud of our two Burnham stores; our High Street store opened in October 2017, and our College Street store operates as a £1 shop. Both stores do amazing work at bringing in revenue for the hospice; unwanted goods are donated, sold in the stores and the money raised then enables us to continue offering our services for free, to those affected by life-limiting illnesses.
We couldn’t do any of this without our retail volunteers. A dedicated, fun, and lively team, our volunteers give their time for free to help Weston Hospicecare stores continue to operate. But volunteering isn’t just a one-way street; volunteers learn valuable new skills, meet new people, and have fun.
Sue Picken is manager of the Burnham £1 shop in College Street, which is holding volunteer recruitment days from February 8th-10th. Sue’s current team of volunteers are invaluable to her, but she’s also looking to add to the group ahead of the town’s busy Summer season.
“Volunteering is the role that gives back,” Sue says. “You get to meet new people, and learn new skills, which is useful if you’re looking to get back into employment. It’s a flexible opportunity too; whatever time you can spare is of use to us. You really do get to make a difference to the lives of others.
I love my team; we talk about anything and everything, and have lots of fun. Working in a £1 is fast-paced, which helps you to gain confidence quickly. There’s nothing you can do that can’t be put right, so people shouldn’t be afraid of coming along and giving it a try. Maybe your kids have left home now, gone to uni or got married, and you have spare time on your hands. Maybe you’ve recently retired and you’r missing that work place environment.”
If you think you’d like to offer some time to either of our Burnham stores, call into the High Street shop from Feb 5th-7th (inclusive) or College Street from 8th-10th (inclusive) for a chat, and maybe some cake! We’d love to meet you!
Alternatively, take a look at our volunteering page on our website for more information.