Category: Volunteers

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Community spirit fills our shops on Summer Celebration Day

Our first-ever Summer Celebration Day across our Hospice shops was nothing short of a smashing success!

As the school holidays drew to a close, each of our seven shops in Tameside and Glossop truly captured the essence of summer with a variety of activities that brought our community together in the most delightful way.

From face painting and tombolas to children’s treats and games, there was something for everyone to enjoy.

Our fantastic shop managers and volunteers went above and beyond, fully immersing themselves in the fun. Many even dipped into their own pockets to purchase items like balloons and cakes, ensuring the day was extra special.

Community spirit filled our shop floors, as customers also got involved. One talented supporter even baked a stunning cake featuring our 25th anniversary logo, which went down a treat at our Reddish Lane shop!

The energy and enthusiasm of the whole experience contributed to a successful day for the shops’ takings, boosting funds towards patient care at the Hospice.

Pauline Lunt, our Head of Retail, is thrilled with the outcome, saying: “I am absolutely delighted with how our Summer Celebration Day unfolded and how warmly it was embraced by our community.

“I want to extend a massive thank you to our shop managers, volunteers, and customers who came together to make the day a success. Some of our volunteers generously came in on days they don’t normally work – they baked cakes, made crafts and manned stalls.

“Our shop managers even enlisted help from their families. The buzz in each shop was brilliant, and it was heartwarming to see so many smiles when I visited.”

With all the fun and joy shared, we’re already planning to bring the Summer Celebration Day back next year—so keep an eye out for details as summer approaches!

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Receptionist retires after almost 23 years of service

After more than two decades of dedicated service, our much-loved receptionist Sheila Mochan is retiring from her role.

Sheila first volunteered for the Hospice in 2001 as a Ward Clerk, a position she fulfilled for around 10 months before she switched to manning the reception desk.

The 77-year-old, from Waterloo in Ashton-under-Lyne, has spent the last 22 years welcoming visitors to Willow Wood and responding to enquiries.

Explaining how she first became a volunteer, Sheila said: “My sister-in-law had cancer in her 40s and sadly passed away before she could come to the Hospice. As I was finishing work, I wanted to volunteer at the Hospice as it supports people like my sister-in-law.”

She added: “I have loved greeting people and I’ve had a good team of people around me. I have seen lots of changes over the years. I am sad but I am ready to do other things, particularly as my husband turns 80 years old later this year. I will still keep in touch with everyone and support the Hospice in other ways.”

Sheila has manned the front desk at the Hospice with Stella Bennett for the last 11-and-a-half years on Tuesday afternoons.

Stella said: “We get on so well and have worked together as a team. I am going to miss Sheila hugely and wish her all the best for the future.”

Sheila received a card and flowers on behalf of all staff and volunteers, who gathered to say thank you and farewell on her final day on Tuesday (25th June).

Lisa Pye, Volunteer Services Manager at Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “Sheila has been an amazing supporter of the Hospice and we are deeply grateful for her incredible service.

“We will miss seeing her every week and wish her all the very best for a well-deserved retirement.”

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A heartfelt thank you to our valued volunteers

Willow Wood’s dedicated band of volunteers give the gift of their time to make a huge difference to every aspect of hospice life.

To say thank you for their valuable contributions, our Volunteer Services Manager Lisa Pye organised a range of free activities based around the theme of ‘wellbeing’ to celebrate this year’s Volunteers’ Week.

Our Catering team’s very own star baker Lynn Valentine put on a cake decorating workshop which went down a treat.

There was an opportunity to discover jewellery-making techniques with Denise Royle, the manager of our Ashton shop.

A crafty group of volunteers had a creative afternoon painting pots at the 4C Community Centre in Ashton.

To look after their physical wellbeing too, volunteers took in some fresh air with a gentle stroll through nearby Stamford Park.

The week culminated with a lively and competitive session of bingo games and a quiz, led by volunteer Chris Hinds in The Hive.

There were some great prizes thanks to generous donations from local businesses including The Village Hotel, Lilly’s Patisserie & Bistro, Hobsons Hair & Beauty, Magpie’s Nest and Flip Out.

The activities were also funded with help from a £500 grant from local charity Action Together.

Every department in the Hospice received fruit hampers for their volunteers, which were put together primarily with supplies donated by Alimentari Di Alberti Greengrocers in Uppermill and 5 A Day in Stalybridge.

Our retail team also marked the occasion by showing their appreciation to the much-valued volunteers who provide help and support in our charity shops.

Shop managers bought cakes, brownies and keyrings for their volunteers and displayed banners in their windows to celebrate the occasion.

Louise Beeden, our Reddish Lane shop manager, also invited her volunteers to her house for an afternoon tea and a fun quiz.

Lisa Pye, Volunteer Services Manager at Willow Wood Hospice, said: “Volunteers’ Week is always a special time of the year as we celebrate our amazing volunteers across every department of the Hospice.

“We simply could not provide the vital services we do without their help and support – they make a profound difference.

“Everyone who took part in the activities had a great time. We cannot thank our volunteers enough for their selfless contributions.”

If you would like to join our team of volunteers and make a positive impact on our community, you can express your interest by filling out a simple form on our website at https://willowwood.org.uk/hospice-volunteering/interest/

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A garden of memories

Our Memory Fountain is the centrepiece of our beautiful gardens, which provide a serene environment for our patients and those closest to them.

The fountain houses beautiful Memory Stones, which can form algae and moss over the warmer months when the sun shines down.

Our head gardener Sophie came up with the idea of making the fountain have the appearance of a reflection pool by installing a metal framework.

This gives the impression of the stones floating on the surface – a beautiful way to display the stones which mean so much to patients and those closest to them.

Dukinfield Metal Spinners in Audenshaw, a local family business, were only too happy to help.

The team took on the design, creation and building of the heavy framework and also had the entire structure powder coated.

The installation was placed in the fountain but unfortunately a leak was spotted.

However, thanks to the hard work of our dedicated volunteer gardeners, with support from our fabulous corporate volunteers, it has been fixed and the fountain can now be enjoyed again by everyone associated with the Hospice.

David Johnson, one of our volunteer gardeners working on the project, told us: “The original pond was filled with plastic boxes and then stones and Memory Stones on top of that. It was just too difficult to clean, so it was decided we needed a platform which Dukinfield Metal Spinners offered to help with, which was fantastic.

“We cleaned the old pond out and a crew of volunteers from Marks & Spencer took all the stones out, and gently cleaned them, put the new platform in, filled it up and it looked wonderful.

“But then it leaked which we were really disappointed about. It has been eight years since we lifted everything out so the silt had got in somewhere.

“We’ve now put in a pond liner after lifting everything out and we’ve put protection cups on the stand legs for each of those sections so it doesn’t cut into the pond liner. A bit of finesse was required and it took several hours but we got the job done and it looks fantastic again.”

For more information on dedicating a stone to a loved one, visit https://willowwood.org.uk/make-a-donation/giving-to-willow-wood/memory-stones/