St John’s Hospice supporter from Morecambe, David Chandler, has completed a special challenge in support of St John’s Hospice.
David has undertaken thirty different volunteering roles for the hospice over 30 days, and produced a video diary of his experiences.
David explained, “with the hospice celebrating its 30th birthday in 2016, I thought I should do something mark the milestone. I knew there were lots of different volunteer roles and I thought it would be nice to highlight some of them and encourage more people to get involved.”
David has spent the last three months trying his hand at thirty different roles, including working in a charity shop, helping on the hospice ward, tidying the grounds, assisting at the donations warehouse and working on reception. “I was amazed when I looked at the list, just how many different roles there are”, says David. “It has been a great experience and I have met so many wonderful people. Staff and volunteers give so much to make the work of the hospice possible.”
David says he hopes his experience will encourage others to volunteer, “there really is something for everyone in terms of volunteering opportunities”, he says. “Whether your preference is to work with the public or behind-the-scenes; to be outdoors or in an office, there is something that will suit you, even if it’s just for a few hours a week.”
Asked to choose a favourite from the thirty roles, David replied “it’s a tough one, as I have really enjoyed the variety. I liked working at the donations warehouse, as you are sorting everything that comes in and you never know what you will find next. I also had a go at putting together some of the floral arrangements around the hospice and I was quite pleased with my efforts – I’d never done a flower arrangement before!”
Chief Executive at St John’s, Sue McGraw is full of praise for David, “this 30 day challenge is a perfect summary of the opportunities a local hospice can offer for people who are looking to “give something back” to their community. Without the support of our army of Volunteers, there simply would be no hospice. We are delighted David chose to make this film; his energy, enthusiasm and humour shine through. We hope he will inspire others to follow his lead and support their local hospice.”
You can watch the trailer and the full version of David’s video diary below. If you have been inspired by David’s efforts and you would like to volunteer at St John’s, visit www.sjhospice.org.uk/volunteer for more information and to see our list of current volunteer vacancies. Alternatively you can call 01524 382538 and ask to speak to the Volunteer Team.
David has supported the hospice in many unique and interesting ways in recent years. His previous challenges in aid of St John’s have included The Tube Challenge (visiting every London tube stop in 24 hours), The Lancashire Challenge (he was the first person to visit every Lancashire railway station in 24 hours – accompanied by Mike Stevens from BBC Radio Lancashire. He was also instrumental in bringing the Green Ayre Rises to Lancaster (Two day event at Lancaster Library marking 50 years since the closure of Green Ayre line). To date David has raised over £7,000 for St John’s Hospice, and he has plans for more unique challenges in the future! Follow David on Twitter @dchan52169.
