“It’s so rewarding to give some of your time to support a brilliant local service. I volunteer half a day, two times a week, in the e-commerce team at St Elizabeth Hospice’s Holywells Retail Centre and I always look forward to my volunteering days,” said Peter Skippins, who has been a St Elizabeth Hospice volunteer since 2018.
“The team are very flexible and appreciate any amount of time you are able to spare. My volunteering fits in well with my life and has become a staple part of my routine.”
Every year more than 3,000 people living with a progressive or life-limiting illness, and their families, are supported throughout east Suffolk, Great Yarmouth and Waveney by the free specialist palliative care provision of St Elizabeth Hospice.
This care is provided by hospice staff who operate throughout the region but who are supported by a fantastic team of volunteers, like Peter, whose generosity enables St Elizabeth Hospice to continue evolving its services to care for more people in the local community.
“I worked in insurance for over 40 years and when I retired I really missed the daily interactions with people, meeting new people from all walks of life,” explained Peter, who lives in Ipswich.
“Through work we supported St Elizabeth Hospice a number of times and the hospice had given respite care to my father in his latter days, so when I learnt of the range of volunteering opportunities available at the hospice I was really keen to see how I could support the charity.”
Peter volunteers for the hospice’s e-commerce team at Holywells Retail Centre, a role which sees him help with the researching of donated items which have been chosen to be sold online via the hospice online shop or the hospice’s eBay site. As an e-commerce volunteer, Peter also helps with the valuation and photography of items before they are listed online for sale.
He added: “There is such a range of stock we have donated, every day really is different. From electrical goods such as speakers or Hi-Fis through to vintage toys, which are very popular with hospice supporters.
“My role involves researching, photographing and listing a variety of items which makes the role very interesting. I feel a real sense of achievement when items, I have prepared for online sale, raise funds for the hospice and the vital work they do in my local community.
“St Elizabeth Hospice has a broad church of services which support so many people. From its Inpatient Unit and bereavement support, through to its Community Care Unit and Community Team caring for people in their homes across the region, knowing you have helped this fantastic service is very rewarding and a worthwhile use of your time.
“The hospice is a real community organisation. An organisation which supports the community but also one that receives brilliant levels of, well-deserved, community support too. You can see this during its annual Midnight Walk and Christmas Day Dip fundraising events, which are so very popular, as well as the much-loved art trails, such as Big Hoot Ipswich 2022.
“I think everyone should come and give volunteering a try. You have a lot to gain and nothing to lose. I have found volunteering has enabled me to make new friends and, with guidance from the hospice e-commerce team, I have learnt new skills.”
To learn more about volunteering opportunities at St Elizabeth Hospice email volunteer@stelizabethhospice.org.uk or visit www.stelizabethhospice.org.uk/support-us/support-us/volunteer-for-us/.