Arthur Rank Hospice Charity is on the search for individuals who live within the vicinity of St Neots to help with street and supermarket collections around the town. If you are a ‘people person’, have an hour or two to spare every other month and would like to make a real difference, they would like to hear from you.
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity supports people in Cambridgeshire who are living with a life-limiting illness through their professional, compassionate and practical services. The hospice - currently based on Mill Road, with a new site currently under construction at Shelford Bottom - delivers vital care to in the region of a thousand patients each year through the 12 bed Inpatient Unit, Hospice at Home Services and Day Therapy, alongside a broad range of wide reaching and holistic services, which support a further two thousand individuals. The charity is challenged with raising £2million every year to fund care and services which are completely free of charge to patients, their families and friends.
The huge contribution of the three hundred strong volunteer team was illustrated by data collected in 2013 when it was revealed that they contributed an astounding 34,875 hours per year, which equates to an economic value of over half a million pounds. During the financial year April 2014 to April 2015 collection volunteers helped the team to raise a total of £15,254.08*.
There will be an informal information session covering what is involved when volunteering to help with the Charity’s collections, taking place in St Neots on Wednesday 21st October, at the Ambiance Café, Riverside Park (PE19 7SA). If you would like to find out more please come along between 11 and 1pm and the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity team will be delighted to tell you more.
Community Fundraiser, Amy Bidwell who takes care of the Charity’s collections, adds: “Volunteers are an integral part of the charity – without them, we would not be able to raise much needed funds or awareness about what we do. Volunteering fits around your life, whether you are a student with a few spare hours between lectures, employed but still able to give up some time at the weekend, or retired and looking to give back to the community. If you prefer to find out more before the information session, or are unable to make it, please call me to have a chat instead. Volunteering is such a rewarding past time and each bit of time you are able to offer really makes a difference to our patients and their loved ones.”
If you would like to attend, please email amy.bidwell@arhc.org.uk or call 01223 723186.
*This figure may differ from other printed totals as it includes collections at ARHC events.