St Giles Hospice is calling for people to help make a real difference for a great local cause in 2022 by volunteering at one of its charity shops.

Every sale made at the hospice’s 21 shops across the area helps to fund the charity’s support for local people and their families who are living with a terminal illness, and volunteers play a vital role in helping St Giles to reach the £850,000 total it needs to raise each month to run its services.

Emily Rich, from Lichfield, joined St Giles as a volunteer just over a year ago and gives her time to one of the charity's shops in the city.

Emily said: “I’ve always loved visiting charity shops and always liked the idea of working in one. When I decided that I’d like to volunteer in a charity shop St Giles Hospice was the obvious choice for me.

“It’s a fantastic local charity which cares for local patients and families when they really need support the most, so I knew it would be a meaningful and worthwhile way to offer my time. It’s really fulfilling to help out and see the shop supporting St Giles because we know how much of a difference the money we raise can make to hospice services.

“As a stay-at-home mum I really look forward to the social aspect of my two days a week at the shop. I’ve made friends with so many staff members and volunteers and you get to know the regular customers who come in on the same day each week. It’s great fun – it doesn’t feel like work, it’s more of a pleasure or a hobby to me, and there’s always something new to learn.”

Emma Yates, St Giles Head of Retail, said: “If you’ve volunteered for us before or would like to try something new and support St Giles by volunteering in one of our hospice shops we’d be delighted to hear from you. We’re looking for people to join our team right now.

“We have 21 shops across our area, each one at the heart of their communities. We sell fantastic individual items which have been gifted by our donors. Our volunteers are vital to the running of our shops - we really could not care for so many patients and families without the generosity of all of the people who donate their time to help us out.

“There are many ways you could get involved with us, from visual merchandising and preparing stock to serving customers and sorting donations, the list is endless, and we will provide you with training and an induction to complete your role. Whatever your interests, strengths and experiences, we have something to suit you and we have a range of shops across our catchment area, so you are never very far away from a convenient volunteering opportunity.”

Anyone interested in volunteering at a St Giles Hospice shop can pop into their local shop to speak to a member of the team and pick up an application form or visit www.stgileshospice.com/shopvolunteer.

For more information about St Giles Hospice and the expert care it provides, please visit www.stgileshospice.com