Volunteers week
It's Volunteers' Week!
From the 1st - 7th June, we'll be celebrating the amazing work our team of over 1,300 volunteers do for us, each and every day.
CEO John Knight, shares his own thanks in the video below.
LOROS simply wouldn't be the same without its volunteers. Their generosity in offering their time, skills and dedication enable us to support the local community in the very best way possible. From those who lend a hand in our shops, on our snack bar, at events and drive patients to and from the Hospice, we'd like to say a huge thank you.
Although the coronavirus pandemic means all of our volunteers are currently unable to come into the Hospice, we'd like to thank them for their ongoing patience and support, and look forward to welcoming them back soon.
To celebrate #VolunteersWeek, we'll be speaking to volunteers and staff throughout the week about the incredible work they do here at LOROS. Check back for regular updates, and maybe a familiar face or two!
We spoke to Jane Kirkman, a volunteer in our Lottery team to find out what she does for LOROS and why.
"I work part time at John Lewis as an Operations Partner, which keeps me busy, but I do have some spare time, so wanted to do something to help.
"When I spotted an article in the Leicester Mercury, about the Hospice hosting an open day, I decided to go along to find out more about LOROS and what opportunities were available."
Jane signed up to volunteer, and soon found herself helping in the lottery office, at fundraising events and in the shops. When a collection round also became available, she took that on too!
"I spend a few hours in the Lottery office every Friday afternoon, helping out with venue searches, coding leaflets, making up packs and posters, anything they need support with really."
For Jane, volunteering in the lottery team comes with a real feel good factor.
I wanted to ‘do my bit’, and help a local charity, who care for and support local people. I know that the Lottery and Raffle are all vital for LOROS, and so are the volunteers, who help make LOROS what it is. I’m proud to be part of that.”
We popped by Day Therapy to speak to Deputy Manager, Jo Potts, about the difference volunteers make to the service Jo and her team are able to offer to patients.
Although currently closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the five volunteers that give their time each day alleviate pressure on the team of nurses, whilst creating a fun and friendly environment for patients to come to each week.
Our #VolunteersWeek celebrations just wouldn't be complete without hearing from one of our fabulous shops volunteers.
In 2019, Bridget found herself retiring and moving house to a new county in one swift sweep. Having worked a demanding job for years, initially, she revelled in this newfound free time:
"We had a new house in a new area which needed exploring, holiday plans - plenty of them - and a delightful new granddaughter, so life was fun."
However, when the initial novelty period wore off, and Bridget's husband started to settle into new hobbies, she worried she might start to lose her identity and lack direction.
"I began to think about what my life might look like, and who the new me was. That was the hardest part: who was I now?"
"I started to think about what I liked doing, and I admitted to myself that what I really liked doing was 'sorting stuff out.' I thought a charity might just give me just that opportunity!"
"Over the years I have been a dedicated charity shop visitor, having found some of my best clothes and shoes there, right back to the time when I was an impoverished student who had no money but liked buying new clothes."
Deciding she would best like to work for a local charity, Bridget, although new to the county, had already experienced great things in LOROS charity shops and decided it was the most-likely candidate.
"I applied and attended an interview at Pullman Road, and have been going back each week (holidays and lockdown permitting!) ever since."
Bridget's talent for sorting and tidying, along with her admin background, was quickly identified, and she was soon asked to help with the LOROS eBay team, which was in great need of assistance.
"Cati, the eBay manager, and I talked about what needed to be done, and we soon found our groove, working as a good team. Cati was happy for me to open boxes and find all the interesting donations that she had received in the last few days. It made me feel nostalgic to find things I had forgotten even existed (a Dusty Bin money box) and amazing items that turned out to be worth far more than I expected (a signed photograph of Prince Andrew)!"
Although Bridget sometimes misses the demanding nature of her life as a career girl, she is delighted to have been able to find a niche for her love of sorting and tidying at the LOROS shops.
"My slice of the week at LOROS has definitely helped me to piece together the new me as a retired person."
Thank you, Bridget, and to each and every one of our shops volunteers.
If you'd like to find out more about becoming a LOROS shops or eBay volunteer, please visit: Your text to link here...