We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers, who give thousands of hours each year to support Birmingham Hospice.
Volunteers help in a variety of roles – supporting patients, transporting them to the hospice, gardening and maintenance, helping on reception, contributing to our fundraising efforts, and of course working in our charity shops. Christine Grew volunteers as a Host in our Living Well Centre at Erdington, welcoming people as they arrive with a smile, a hot drink and a chat.
She said: “The hospice looked after my husband David, and I wanted to give something back, for what they did for him and for me. I started volunteering eight years ago, and I’m still here!
“I love talking to the different people who come to the Living Well Centre. A lot of patients don’t see anybody from one week to the next, so they enjoy coming here for a chat and to meet other people.
“One gentleman came here and we were talking about this and that, and it turned out he came from the same place as me – we went to the same school, lived in the same street and this was 60 years ago. The following week, his wife came in to speak to me and said he hadn’t stopped talking about it and it had brought back so many memories. Another person I met here once worked with my brother.
“A hospice is nothing like you think – it’s a happy place, and volunteering is a great thing to do.”
To find out more about volunteering at the hospice, and to see our current roles, please visit birminghamhospice.org.uk/volunteer.
