At Children’s Hospice South West, our volunteers come from all walks of life: from students to retirees, professionals to those with a personal connection to one of our hospices.
Student Molly volunteers with the Fundraising team at Little Bridge House, supporting our work in a variety of different ways. Molly has helped out at the Santas on the Run event at RHS Garden Rosemoor in December, marshalling and manning fundraising stalls.
Molly started volunteering with CHSW in 2015, for two hours every Saturday morning in one of our charity shops, and has since become one of our Young Ambassadors. She says she has gained valuable experience through her volunteer roles:
“I loved seeing the regular customers and working alongside a range of different people. It taught me great customer skills and provided me with work experience. Now in the sixth form I am a proud ambassador for CHSW. During my time in this role, I have presented trophies and accepted a cheque at the Bideford 10K, as well as marshalling at various events.
This role has allowed me to improve my presentation skills, meet wonderful new people and visit the amazing facilities at Little Bridge House.
Volunteering as a student is a fantastic way to gain skills and experience that will add value to a CV. Being able to demonstrate commitment to a role and a cause will be a big help in applications for jobs and university places, and there is also the potential to gain nationally recognised qualifications such as NVQ and Duke of Edinburgh awards. Add to this the chance to work in a friendly team, meet some great new people and develop confidence and communication skills: there are so many reasons to volunteer with CHSW, and every hour you can give will help us to make the world of difference to the families we support.