The difference our volunteers made in 2025-2026
Volunteer impact
Thank you
Thank you to our amazing volunteers who do so much to help us support children and families across West Yorkshire. We simply wouldn’t be here without you. Here’s a round up of the impact you made in 2025!
Gareth Pierce
Chief Executive
Volunteering in numbers
548 volunteers
Supported us across Forget Me Not:
- in our shops
- at the hospice
- out in the community
- as trustees
Volunteer hours gifted 52,750
Every hour our volunteers give to Forget Me Not is a truly valuable gift. From welcoming visitors and supporting events to helping behind the scenes, each volunteer helps our charity continue providing vital care and support to the children and families. Every volunteer hour makes a real difference and plays an important part in keeping our hospice running.
Our retail volunteers donated 45,865 hours across our shops, online and transport
Volunteers donated 731 hours in our care and family support teams, helping to provide activities for children & families
Our trustee board have gifted 374 hours of their time helping oversee how our charity is run.
2,056 hours have been gifted by our receptionists – the welcoming smiles of Russell House
Volunteers have gifted 368 hours working in our garden, making it a beautiful and fun-filled space
5,594 hours have been gifted by fundraising volunteers, helping us raise money in our local communities
The difference volunteers’ time makes
Volunteers don’t just perform vital roles at the hospice, in our shops and in the community, the gift of their time also frees up funds we can spend on delivering vital services to the families who need us the most.
Our retail volunteers saved us £560,011 – that could pay for our support for children and families in their own homes for a full year, ensuring that those who can’t get to the hospice get the care and support they need
Our care volunteers saved us £8,925 – that could help fund support for a newly bereaved family staying in our private and peaceful Snowflake Suite, giving them the space and time they need to say their last goodbyes
Our reception volunteers saved us £25,103 – that could fund a qualified nurse for 6 months, providing specialised and high quality care to our children and families
Our garden volunteers saved us £4,493 – that could help keep our hydrotherapy pool running for 5 months, enabling children with complex conditions to enjoy the benefits of splashing around with their families, whenever they want
Our fundraising volunteers saved us £68,302 – that could pay for all the activities we put on across the year for our children and families
*Based on national living wage in 2025 (£12.21 per hour).
8,000 smiles
Our reception volunteers welcomed over 8,000 visitors to Russell House.
Our reception volunteers play an incredibly important role at Forget Me Not, offering a warm welcome to everyone who walks through our doors. They are often the first friendly face visitors see when arriving at the hospice, helping people feel comfortable and supported from the very beginning.
Stalls manned by volunteers at third party events where we raised money
Young volunteers in our organisation
Volunteers who have progressed into paid roles at Forget Me Not
Bucket collections
£26,828.39
Amount raised by volunteers collecting people’s donated spare change, at events and in supermarkets etc
95
Number of bucket collections held at Forget Me Not and third party events.
£215,860 raised by third party community events
Often run by or supported by volunteers, these events make a huge contribution to Forget Me Not, not just in terms of the vital funds they help to raise, but also by raising awareness within the local community of the support we provide to children and families.
Interested in volunteering?
Whether you can spare a few hours a week or want to make a regular commitment, there are so many ways to get involved and support our work through volunteering.
From helping customers in our charity shops, supporting bucket collections and fundraising events in the community, to assisting at the hospice and helping create a special environment for children and families, every volunteer makes a real difference.
Volunteering is a wonderful way to meet new people, learn new skills, and be part of something truly meaningful! So why not find out more here, or email us at volunteers@forgetmenotchild.co.uk.
