Could you become a volunteer for Crawley’s hospice?

Five volunteers in the hospice’s Rowfant donations warehouse here share their own experiences of volunteering and why they encourage others to do the same. Richard, from Crawley, started volunteering for St Catherine’s last year after being furloughed and made redundant from his full-time job in the travel industry.

He said: “I’ve worked in travel for the whole of my working life. I’ve worked for some of the best travel companies, one for 11 years and another for 18 years. I’ve only ever done that, it’s a fantastic industry to be in and I did love my job.

“I was furloughed on the 1st April 2020 and I haven’t worked since, and I was made redundant in December. Volunteering has always been at the back of my mind, but like a lot of people, I always felt like I never had the time to do something.

“I also never fully understood how simple it was to give some time and make a difference. Being furloughed gave me a bit more perspective on what makes me feel good and I needed to find something that gave me more purpose.

“I struggle to sit indoors all day and just listen to my own thoughts, so not only is this volunteering role helping the hospice, it’s also helping me.

“I struggled a lot during lockdown. I didn’t want to go out. I didn’t want to use the hour of exercise, I wasn’t even taking a walk, I was just staying indoors for the whole time.

“I was getting to the point where I was sitting around doing nothing, it was quite soul destroying.

“This has given me a lot, as well as me being able to give something back. It was extremely unhealthy for me staying indoors all the time, and volunteering has helped my mental state enormously.

“I really look forward to coming here (the donations warehouse), it gives me some structure to my week and I look forward to catching up with the other volunteers.

“I’ve met some great people whilst doing this who I now consider my good friends. One of the things that makes it easier is that there’s quite a lot of comraderie here, we help each other get through each day.

“You don’t realise how rewarding volunteering can be until you just get out there and do it.

“It’s not a difficult role either, it’s easy to do and you can work at your own pace. There’s no pressure from anyone and there are many rewarding benefits. It feels really good at the end of each day to know that you’ve done something to make a difference and that you’re contributing to a local charity who needs all the help it can get.

“I would recommend volunteering to people of all ages, particularly those that have been furloughed, are in between jobs, or not working at all, as it keeps you active and helps your mind to stay ticking over.

“It’s easy to be out of work and fall into the trap of thinking negatively, but this doesn’t take up a huge amount of time and it can give you that extra bit of motivation to keep going.

“I only do 10 hours a week, but even if somebody only does one morning a week, it can make a huge difference. I think many people have the perception that volunteering is only for the older generation, people who are retired or have more time on their hands. But we’re living in completely different times now. “I think people also worry about how much they can commit to volunteering, but it’s hugely flexible around you and any other commitments you may have. “People are grateful for whatever help you can give.It makes you feel like you’re actually contributing something and making a huge difference.

“I always think that it may only be a part-time volunteering role, but the impact that it has on St Catherine’s makes a great difference. If we can get enough stock out to our shops that is sellable, every penny counts.”

Kevin, also from Crawley, started volunteering in St Catherine’s warehouse two years ago after retiring from his job in the banking industry.

He said: “Like a lot of people who retire, I knew that I needed to still do something.

“I always knew I wanted to volunteer and two years ago I decided to join St Catherine’s. I knew all about the hospice as it’s very local to me, I saw an advertisement for volunteers at the warehouse to sort through donations and since starting I have loved every minute of it. That’s why two years on I’m still here.

“I tell everyone what I do, many people ask “‘Why do you do that?’ and I say ‘Because it’s great, I’m making a difference to my local community and my local charity, and I just love it.’

Volunteering here is lovely. The people are great, we all have a good laugh together and we work hard as a team to get on with what needs to be done.

“It’s also great to be getting out of the house every week and to do something for a great cause. Every day is different here because you get different things coming in.

“We have a laugh when funny things come in and we love it when we find some hidden gems, we find silverware, brand new designer handbags, shoes, all sorts! “I would recommend everyone who wants to do volunteering to just try it. Come and spend a session with us, meet the team and see what we do.”

Good friends, Carol and Joyce, are also part ofthe hospice’s volunteering team at Rowfant and worked together in finance before volunteering at St Catherine’s.

Joyce: “I would really miss it if I didn’t do it.Volunteering here really helps me as it gets me out of the house, and I feel very lucky to be volunteering for a local cause and helping people in my community.

“After my husband passed away, I knew that I needed to do something, so I decided to take up volunteering. I’ve volunteered at other places before St Catherine’s, but it’s so much different here than anywhere else I’ve been. You’re not just a number, they know your name and you feel as if you’re part of something.