David - Donations team and Fundraising team
Why do you volunteer at Farleigh Hospice?
That can be summed up in a single word - Jane. My first contact with Farleigh was in 2011, which was shortly after my wife Jane received a cancer diagnosis. When you get that news, you're stunned. Farleigh’s medical team got in touch right after she was referred by her GP and they were brilliant, which is just exactly what we needed. Jane used to come to the Hospice at North Court Road every Thursday when they had get-togethers for the people that were under Farleigh’s care. She did painting and other crafts which she really looked forward to doing.
Jane passed away in July 2014, so it's coming up to 10 years. After she died I used the bereavement service who were excellent and who I would recommend to anyone else in a similar situation.
How long have you been a volunteer and what does your role involve?
I retired from my work in banking in May 2015. I saw a post on Facebook asking for somebody to help put out leaflets in Braintree and I thought, well, I need to find things to do, that's a good starting point. In 2016 they asked if I could expand into Witham, then Dunmow in 2019 and then into Chelmsford and the surrounding areas. Now I visit pubs, wine bars, cafes, gyms, small independent shops and so on all over mid Essex, leaving them leaflets and posters. While I’m out I’ll pick up full collection tins and swap them over with new ones. I’ll also look out for new places that might be happy to take a collection tin – at the last count I've put out an additional 27 tins across the patch.
Since 2018 I’ve been coming to North Court Road on Fridays to volunteer with the Donations team. I work on the supporter database with data cleansing, such as when people have duplicate records and Gift Aid declarations. This is important because if their Gift Aid is up to date we can claim an additional 20% on donations they make. I also count the money from the collection tins, which includes weeding out the foreign coins. You end up with really dirty fingers after you've done that!
You might also see me volunteering at Farleigh events like Santa Fun Run (pictured above with volunteer Alison), Walk for Life and Cycle for Life - I'll turn up on the Sunday morning and make a nuisance of myself helping out. Over recent years my two daughters and our Labradors, Roscoe and Lottie, have taken part in Santa Fun Run while I stewarded.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering?
By going out placing the materials that advertise our big events I see parts of Essex, which despite having lived in the county my entire life, have not been more than a name on a map. Then being with a great bunch of people in the office most Fridays! As I'm pretty active all week, it's actually good to have a day sitting down! It also keeps your brain engaged as well.
How else are you supporting Farleigh Hospice?
Last October my daughters and I put on a coffee morning, raising over £378. As well as friends and neighbours, some of the staff at Farleigh helped by eating cake for a good cause. I also host a "Boys’ Night In" with the lads from the gym. My daughters cook the burgers, hot dogs etc – all the healthy food us gym goers like! I sort out the drinks. Last year that raised £260. We’re going for a higher target this year.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a volunteer?
Do it! We need more people to put out leaflets and posters and gather in the collection tins. If anybody would like to volunteer they could come out with me and see how I do it and I can guide them through that and mentor them. It's so rewarding and you know you're helping other people.
How do I find out more about becoming a volunteer?For more information on any of our volunteer roles, or to find out more about volunteering with Farleigh Hospice, please contact our Volunteering Team on 01245 933735 or email us at volunteer@farleighhospice.org