Volunteering provides opportunities for all ages. Many retired people want more out of life than just gardening or shopping and working as part of a team offers camaraderie, banter and lots of fun. Volunteering also brings a big boost in confidence for people looking for work, especially those who were made redundant during the recession, and it offers training opportunities and extra experience on a CV, helping many volunteers move into paid employment. Many of the team at Whitecross Furniture Warehouse have known friends and family who have been supported by St Michael’s, and have seen first-hand just how important the care provided at the Hospice is to local people.

Whitecross Furniture Warehouse has recently celebrated its 5th birthday and, each year, the team has turned over more money than the last. Collectively, the team believe the store’s success is all down to people: the customers who return time after time, the volunteers who keep on giving their time for free and the public who keep donating their high-quality items.

It takes a team of over 40 people, all with different expertise in valuing precious antiques, vintage clothes, and other valuable objects, to run Whitecross Furniture Warehouse. Tying it all together is store manager Bob Young, whose background as a volunteer and legendary people skills are the final part of the jigsaw that makes everything gel together. Such is the expertise and dedication of the team; they recently won a very well-deserved national award for ‘Shop Team of the Year’ from the Charity Retail Association.

All the Hospice shops are keen to hear from people of all ages and backgrounds who would like to help. So, if you think volunteering might be for you and you would like to be part of a winning team, call your nearest store on the telephone numbers opposite.