I’m David and I volunteer at the Marie Curie charity shop in Whitchurch.
I found out about Marie Curie when my mum was at the Marie Curie hospice in Penarth. This was called Holme Towers hospice back then. My mum was there when she wasn’t very well and she eventually died there. Marie Curie looked after her. My mum’s social worker thought it would be good for me to volunteer for Marie Curie. They helped me to start volunteering there.
Marie Curie is a charity that helps people who are at the end of their life. The money we raise in the shop goes towards this. This is very important to me and close to my heart. The volunteering I do in the charity shop mainly helps to pay for things at the hospice in Penarth. I feel like I’m helping my mum by volunteering at the charity shop.
I volunteer here four days a week. I usually do a few hours at a time. I am very flexible though. When they need me, I come and help.
When I volunteer here, there are a few jobs I do:
- Pricing CDs and DVDs and sorting them.
- Steaming clothes to make sure they look their best.
- Sweeping and mopping the floor.
- Taking cash to the Post Office.
- Sorting clothes out, they are sorted to be rags, passed to other shops or to be sold in this shop.
- Making drinks for other volunteers and staff. They all say I make the best cup of tea!
- Working on the shop floor. I stand behind the till and greet customers.
I choose which jobs I do. My disability means I have bad knees so I don’t sweep and mop the floor too often, only once a month. I find the till hard but I can still stand next to the till to greet customers.
Everyone helps me when I volunteer here. All the other volunteers and staff there support me. I work as a team with them. When we need to carry heavy boxes, we work together to do this. They always show me what to do too. I do some things here myself too. It is good to be independent as well as work as a team.
I very much enjoy it here. I like meeting people. It’s good for my mental health. I enjoy the social side to my volunteering. All the volunteers at the charity shop go to the Plough Inn twice a year for a drink and a chat. I really enjoy this. Volunteering here has helped me to feel more confident with meeting new people.
I have been volunteering here for over five years. I got a certificate presented to me at an event at the hospice in Penarth. This certificate was given to me as an award for volunteering for five years. I am very proud of this achievement. It’s well earned.
My manager at the charity shop wanted to say a few words for this article:
‘Marie Curie provide hospice care. Our nearest hospice is in Penarth. They support anyone with an end of life illness. They also support their families and those closest to them. Marie curie share research too. They also campaign for better support for those at end of life. The Marie Curie shops raise vital funds that go towards this clinical and emotional care. They provide awareness of the charity’s mission too.
David is a great asset to the Whitchurch charity shop team. He has been volunteering for over 5 years. Working with and supporting volunteers with learning disabilities is rewarding for the whole team. David does an excellent job of tagging and steaming the clothing and helping us to prepare the items in the sorting room before they go out onto the shop floor to be sold. David also helps with cleaning and sorting donations. He likes checking all the dvds and cds to make sure they are not scratched and in good condition, he has a good eye for detail.’
