"No two days are the same and it's very social"

I decided to volunteer for the hospice after I was made redundant from my job at House of Fraser, which I had for almost 50 years. I still wanted to work in retail and after walking down St Peter’s Avenue I could see how busy the shop there was. I knew someone from my House of Fraser days that worked for the hospice, and they gave me an application form so I could get started in the shops. It was very straightforward and easy.

On the retail side, I enjoy how busy the shop is and getting to meet and speak to different people all the time. No two days are the same and it’s very social. With wellbeing, it’s knowing you get as much out of the sessions as the patients do. I have experience with dementia so it’s very rewarding knowing you’re a good part of someone's day. My favourite thing about volunteering is being part of such an incredible, supportive and inclusive team.