Claire House Children’s Hospice is looking for new volunteers

Claire House Children’s Hospice is appealing for new volunteers to kickstart the new year.

Claire House is offering people the chance to give back to the community and do something amazing by helping their local children’s hospice.

And the benefits to the volunteers themselves are huge, whether that be taking up a new hobby,becoming more active or learning new skills.

Amy Harrison, Head of Volunteering at Claire House, said:

“Claire House wouldn’t be who we are today without our volunteers. Volunteers have always been part of our foundation, even when Claire House was just a dream, and we couldn’t do what we do now without our amazing team.

“We’ve got volunteers in almost every department across the organisation, they work alongside staff and are a huge help to our charity.”

Because of the big-hearted volunteers, Claire House can open more charity shops and offer more fundraising events, which brings in money to support children, young people and their families.

And Amy, who has worked with volunteers for the past 15 years, said helping out also makes a difference to the volunteers:

“Every single volunteer at Claire House makes a difference to our families, whether they are in our shops or if they’re speaking to our families when they come in the reception.

“And I’ve seen the difference that volunteering makes to an individual’s life too. If you volunteer for Claire House, you stay active, make new friends, learn new skills and can share skills. Your confidence grows and you have a positive impact on the community, which helps your well-being.”

Claire House, which has 15 charity shops, is looking for more people to help. Duties can involve window dressing, merchandising, sorting through stock and donations, serving customers or doing admin.

Retail drivers are also needed and, for those who want to get their steps in this new year, people can help with leaflet drops to promote volunteering.

There are roles to suit everyone, regardless of their different skills and how much time they can give to a good cause.

Here’s what some of the volunteers said about the charity:

“I really enjoy volunteering, everyone is friendly. The hospice staff do a fantastic job, and the fundraising team backs them up. We all feel as if we’re doing something worthwhile.” – Kath Waring, a retired school administrator who got a new lease of life by manning the reception desk in the Claire House fundraising building.

“The amount of time our care team spend helping families, especially at their lowest points, is phenomenal and it makes me want to volunteer for Claire House even more.” – Claire House driver Kevin Craig, who is a dad-of-three and a former Merseyside Police special officer.

“I just didn’t realise how wonderful and happy a children’s hospice would be – finding that out was my reward.” – Trish Ormerod, who said giving something back by volunteering in the reception and by doing admin work gained her a newfound confidence.

“When I started volunteering here three months ago, I didn’t know just how much I was going to enjoy it.” – Margaret Oakes, a retired nurse who volunteers in the Claire House Great Homer Street shop.

“Our volunteers always say how much they love it here. Some come to help with their mental health. For others, it’s a chance to meet different people and learn something new. There are many benefits to volunteering for Claire House because you can leave here knowing you’ve made a difference to a child’s life or helped a family and that’s what it is all about.” – Great Homer Street shop manager Claire Jenkins.