How long have you been volunteering for Hospice At Home West Cumbria?
Well, I’m on a gap year and started volunteering after Christmas.
What made you want to volunteer?
Basically, all my friends had started getting jobs, and because I’m doing maths teacher training next year, I was thinking in the gap year I should get a job. However, my dad said he could support me through my gap year, so instead of getting a job that someone else may need I thought I’d volunteer here at Hospice and at a food bank.
My friends were all getting jobs, and I felt it was difficult to relate to them because I didn’t have one, so I thought I’d volunteer.
What does your volunteering role involve?
It involves being part of a small team and being in charge of the shop day to day. You have to get and sort donations, price them, put them out, steam clothes, rotate stock and try to be as efficient in the shop as possible.
You’re on different shifts with different people, so you have to make sure other members of staff know what you’re doing and have some communication with them. You can have different ideas of the right course of action, so it’s about mediating that and managing different opinions. You have to compromise. I recognise the strengths that the other people in the shop have and defer to them on what they have more knowledge of, so we are all working as a team. It’s all about teamwork and people skills.
What are the challenges in your role and what do you enjoy?
When I came into the shop, I was nervous about pricing clothes as I didn’t know how much you’re supposed to price them at. You have to check the brand, and the quality etc. I feel like I’ve got better at not overthinking that, and the small things don’t matter so much, and sometimes it comes down to different people’s opinions.
One thing I really enjoyed was steaming the clothes. When I was new at the shop, I learnt a new skill each week. Over time, I learnt to tag clothes and use the till, and I feel like when you start, you’re looked after and helped and when you’re ready you can be more confident. A couple of weeks ago a new volunteer started, and I had to teach her the ropes.
I think there’s scope within shop volunteering where you can either just put the hours in or actually get involved and learn. You can learn a lot and there are transferrable skills that will help you next week and in the future. You can make the most of the time you have when you’re there.
What three words would you use to describe Hospice At Home West Cumbria?
Welcoming, multi-tasking and teamwork.
Are there any other comments or stories you’d like to include?
When you’re volunteering in the shop there is sometimes a disconnect between what happens at the shop and what the hospice does. I chose to volunteer at the Sea of Sunflowers event in Cockermouth, and it was really eye-opening to me about what the hospice actually does. It was great to speak to people that had used the services and hear the stories of people that have been helped.
It’s also nice, because I live in Cockermouth, that people come into the shop that I haven’t seen in a while, or learn new things about new people. There was a lady that came in that used to be a professional clown!
Would you recommend volunteering to others?
The experience, learning, social aspect are all great. It’s been a great experience working with people that are older than me and that are in a different age demographic. It can help you see things differently and can change your perspective. I think it can help you to learn from each other and discuss new things.