“It’s no exaggeration to say that we would simply not be able to function without our wonderful volunteers.”

Volunteers are the lifeblood of many charities and organisations who rely on people willing to donate their time to help improve the lives of their friends and neighbours. This Volunteers Week, we’re taking a moment to recognise and celebrate the hard work our volunteers give for free, work that makes such a difference to the local community.

It’s no exaggeration to say that we would simply not be able to function them. Every minute, every hour they donate means we can care for hundreds of local children with life-shortening conditions and their families. Not only that, but their dedication, commitment, energy, good will, skills and experience enhance everything we do – from fundraising to care, in our shops and at our hospices. There isn’t a part of Forget Me Not where volunteers aren’t absolutely vital.

We are extremely grateful that people from across the local community are willing to give us the gift of their time – and we’re proud too that we can offer such a huge variety of volunteering opportunities that mean so many people can get involved whatever their circumstances, work background and time commitments.

People like retiree Jane, who volunteers in one of our shops, because “I just love meeting new people. Plus, it keeps your brain active and doing something worthwhile!”

Or James, who likes being a shop volunteer because “it gives me something to focus on” after he experienced some mental health issues.

Or Fareed who is improving his language skills by volunteering in another of our shops.

For Louise, volunteering as a musician at the hospice gives her the chance to use her talent and skills to benefit some of the children we support while also enhancing her CV.

And for Kim, the confidence and experience she built up as a care volunteer led to a permanent role as one of our care team members.  

And while they may have different reasons for volunteering, what they share is a heartfelt appreciation of the work we do. As Sheila, one of our fundraising volunteers, said: “I get great satisfaction from knowing that what we do really does help the families Forget Me Not supports.”

If you’re interested in volunteering a few spare hours to support our work you can find all our current opportunities here.