Young people aged 16 and 17 can now volunteer with Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice and make a real difference to the charity’s vital retail team.
Roles on offer include those in the hospice’s four charity shops across Carlisle and Penrith, with the potential for also being involved in the retail team’s eBay operation.
The charity’s extension to their minimum age of volunteering, announced today during national Volunteers’ Week, comes after feedback from local people and the hospice wanting to help support youngsters in the community gain valuable skills and experience previously not on offer.
There are currently more than 220 people who volunteer for the hospice working in a variety of roles, including supporting the delivery of compassionate care to people with life limiting illnesses and helping to raise funds by working in charity shops. It costs around £4.8 million to run the hospice each year, with only around 20 per cent coming from the NHS.
Alex Groves, the hospice’s business development manager, said: “Volunteers are an essential part of the hospice, and we depend heavily on their time, skills and dedication so that we can continue providing care to local adults and children. We have people of all ages who volunteer with their local hospice, but we’re excited to welcome more young people to the team, particularly to support our charity shops.
“Volunteering is a great way of meeting new people, gaining new skills and experience as well as giving back to an important local charity. If you, or someone you know is interested, please get in touch.”
Full training for the role will be provided and staff in the hospice’s shops who supervise volunteers are all DBS checked.
To apply for a role, or to learn more, go to www.edenvalleyhospice.org/support-us/volunteer/. For more information, call the hospice on 01228 810801.
