At Tŷ Hafan, there are lots of ways you can support our life-changing services as a volunteer, from working in one of our shops, to helping at events, directly supporting our families or supporting us in the hospice gardens, kitchen or head office.
Volunteering can help you meet new people, boost your self-esteem, offer a sense of community and give you new skills.
This Volunteer’s Week (2nd June – 8th June), our volunteers are sharing why they volunteer with Tŷ Hafan.
Forming unlikely friendships
At 16 and 79, Mae and Bill are the youngest and oldest volunteers at our Whitchurch shop. The duo has become the best of friends, sharing lunch breaks, listening to music while sorting donations and teaching each other new skills.
Mae said, “I like volunteering at Tŷ Hafan because I have been able to form good friendships, and it has taught me some valuable skills.”
Bill shared, “It is a pleasure to be a volunteer and to have the satisfaction of knowing that I have been given the opportunity to make a difference for so worthy a charity as Tŷ Hafan.”
Feeling part of something important
We have a wonderful team of volunteer gardeners who help us keep the hospice grounds vibrant and tidy.
Brian shared, “From a retired person’s perspective, you give up a lot of social contacts when you leave work. Being at Tŷ Hafan and having a photocard and lanyard plus a pin code for the barrier represents a whole new sense of belonging as a volunteer. There is no formal hierarchy that you get in a place of employment as our work is all of equal value though our capabilities vary. Above all, we work for the pleasure of making the gardens a haven for the families. That’s something a salary can’t buy.”
Karen shared, “Being part of the gardening team is very rewarding and we support each other and are always learning gardening tips! Two years ago, I was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer and throughout my treatments when I could not garden, I loved keeping in touch with my colleagues and seeing the improvements they made. Now I am back two mornings a week and loving being back helping and waiting for the daffodils to burst into life!”
A sense of purpose
Paul’s connection to Tŷ Hafan began during a fundraiser in 2011, which then led to him collecting donation boxes for us and helping in the Talbot Green shop. While on a tour of our hospice, Paul decided he wanted to volunteer in our kitchen.
Paul shared, “Seeing what they do on a day-to-day basis and the difference it makes to families at the most unimaginable time in their lives is why I chose to volunteer at Tŷ Hafan and hopefully will do for many years to come.
I would say to anyone who is thinking of volunteering, you will make new friends, learn new skills and have fun along the way. Now I have retired it has given me a sense of purpose and a great feeling that I am giving back to the community.”
We also asked some of our volunteers to share a few words about why they love volunteering at Ty Hafan, in this video:
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Thank you to all our amazing volunteers for everything you do!
Volunteering opportunities
Inspired by these stories and want to become a volunteer?
Find out more about the opportunities we have available here.