What’s your volunteering role?

I’m a maintenance / handyman volunteer here at the hospice.

How long have you volunteered at Katharine House?

I’ve been volunteering at the hospice for seven years now. Five of them were in retail before I transferred to maintenance.

What do you like about volunteering at Katharine House? 

When I thought about why I volunteer I could only think, ‘Why wouldn’t I?’ I’m retired with plenty of free time. I’ve always been active and can’t abide just sitting around, so if I can do something to contribute in some small way to the work of Katharine House then why wouldn’t I?

I have always enjoyed DIY, and maintenance at the hospice is just like DIY at home. Every day I volunteer is different depending on what has broken, cracked, become blocked or obsolete, or been delivered since the previous week.

One of the reasons Katharine House is such a wonderful place for the patients is because there are so many really nice, caring people who work here, either in an employed or volunteer role. Helping with maintenance brings me into contact with many of them. Seeing the patients and visitors and the care they get at Katharine House always makes me appreciate how fortunate I am and each time I go home I think again, ‘Why wouldn’t I?’

What skills have you gained from volunteering? 

You can do a lot more than you think if you just try. Take it apart carefully and methodically, work out how it operates, apply common sense and put it back together. Hopefully job done!

What would you say to a friend about volunteering here?

Why wouldn’t you?

Country walk or city break?

Both.

Dog or cat?

Cat.

Katharine House Hospice

• If you're interest in volunteering for Katharine House Hospice, please check out our Current Vacancies page for more information.
• To find out more about the work we do, read What we do or explore our For Patients and Families pages.
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