EVERY year, hundreds of volunteers give up their time for Saint Francis Hospice, to help provide people with crucial care. 

There are currently 860 volunteers who work in every part of the charity from the Inpatient Ward, Day Therapy Unit and gardens to fundraising and the shops.

Over the last year they worked an incredible 169,000 hours and saved the hospice £2 million in staff costs.

As part of Volunteers’ Week the hospice will be celebrating the hard work and dedication of our unpaid workforce and hosting three evenings in June and July, to formally thank them for their invaluable contribution to the hospice.

During the evenings a number of Long Service Awards will also be presented to volunteers having completed five, ten, fifteen, twenty and twenty-five years of service.

Gill Wendelken, Voluntary Services Manager at the hospice, said, “Saint Francis Hospice uses the special opportunity provided by the National UK Volunteer Week to show its appreciation for all its volunteers, totalling 860 people, who are such an essential part of the service provided to the community.

“The thousands of hours, personal skills and life experiences the volunteers bring to the hospice organisation is absolutely priceless.”

The hospice is always on the lookout for volunteers with different skills, particularly in the following areas: shops, patient care, manning a new telephone service for people who are isolated or lonely, garden, complementary therapy and drivers to bring people to the Day Therapy Unit at the hospice.

Anne Lancaster, 62, has been volunteering with the fundraising team since 2014.

Anne, who used to work as a purchasing officer for a shipping firm, has a personal connection with the charity as it cared for her mum Yvonne Lancaster before she died in 2013.

“We had to talk my mum into visiting the Day Therapy Unit but after the first visit she realised how wonderful it was and looked forward to going there every week,” said Anne, who lives in Brentwood.

“When the time came my mum was admitted to the Inpatient Unit and she was there for around seven weeks.

“The care she received was excellent and I was so grateful that she was not at a hospital.

“The hospice also looked after our family too.”

Anne initially helped out at the Sunflower Picnic, which is a summer event held for supporters to remember their loved ones, and since then she has been supporting the fundraising team in any way she can.

“It has been fantastic,” said Anne.

“As soon as I came in I felt part of the team as everyone was so friendly.

“It is nice to be able to give a little bit back after what the hospice did for my mum.”

John Freeman, 67, of Stapleford Abbots, has been a volunteer gardener for the past seven years.

he said: “As I retired and live locally I thought it was the right thing to do to help out. 

“I like meeting people at the hospice and working with the maintenance team as well as the other volunteers.

“We have a good laugh when we get together.

“I really enjoy the work and Claire (Head Gardener at the hospice) gives me all sorts of jobs.

“I particularly like mowing the lawn because I find it very soothing and satisfying as you can forget about everything else.

“Being a volunteer is also very rewarding.

“People will often walk past as we are working and say how lovely the gardens are.”