Volunteers rally support as they share rewards of helping in Ashgate Hospice shops

The charity is looking for people to lend a hand at its clearance shop, donation centre, furniture store and eBay team in Hasland, as well as at stores in Bakewell and Rowsley and its new shop in Matlock.

Volunteers sort out donations, serve at the till, meet new people and feel like they are giving something back to the community.

Marian Weighill, of Tapton, Chesterfield, has been volunteering at the hospice’s shop in Bolsover since 2009. She said: “My neighbour was quite ill and spent some time on Ashgate Hospice’s Inpatient Unit and said the care she received was just brilliant. She told me she’d wished she’d done some voluntary work for the hospice, so after she died, I made the decision to honour her memory and join the team.

“I’m so glad I did, as the past 13 years have been a brilliant experience. I hope that she’d be proud of the time I’ve given to help volunteer at Ashgate.”

Mike Collins decided to volunteer in Ashgate’s shop in Chesterfield town centre shop to gain some more retail experience eight years ago.

“I love being a volunteer in one of Ashgate’s shops,” said Mike, who is a steward at Chesterfield FC. “You make no end of friends, gain plenty of experience and get a real sense of satisfaction from doing your bit for the hospice.

"To anyone thinking about volunteering I’d tell them not to hesitate – I’m so glad I signed up.”

The retail volunteers play an important part in helping the hospice raise the £3million from shop sales it needs every year to provide care for patients and their families.

Matthew Boyman said he would have been ‘lost’ without Ashgate’s support. His wife Stephanie passed away in November last year, aged 53, and the money raised through Ashgate shops helped her fulfill her wishes of dying peacefully at home with family and friends by her side.

Matthew, from Staveley, who was married to Steph for 20 years, said: “Without the care and support from Ashgate Hospice there would have been no

choice but for us to admit Steph to hospital, which would have been against her final wishes of dying at home.

“After being diagnosed two years ago, her treatment dictated most of her life, so it was important for her to be able to spend her last months at home with family and friends. I’m so grateful for Ashgate’s nurses and support workers for everything they did for her and for me too. Each and every one of them was amazing.”

Laura Stevens, head of retail operations at Ashgate Hospice, said: “Our volunteers are so special to us; each and every one plays such an integral part inhelping us provide vital care. They have been part of the fabric of Ashgate for over 30 years and bring something unique and special to our shops in communities across the county. We’d love for you to come and join us.”Anyone who is interested in volunteering can go to www.ashgatehospice.org.uk/volunteering and fill in the Volunteer Enquiry Form. Alternatively, pop into an Ashgate Hospice shop and ask to speak to the manager about volunteering.