Barbara’s story

Barbara the “coffee shop queen” says, “I am honoured to be a volunteer at St Ann’s and absolutely love being here”

Barbara has volunteered in our coffee shop at Heald Green since September 2015.

Her husband Brian passed away at the hospice last year so she knows the importance of the coffee shop for relatives of patients who use it on a regular basis.

I am honoured to be a volunteer at St Ann’s and absolutely love being here. If I can bring only a small amount of comfort to the people who have been in the same position that I was in, then it gives me a feeling of doing something worthwhile. A smile doesn’t cost anything but can mean so much.

The coffee shop is so important for relatives, it is a space where they can take a break and have a cup of tea. When my husband was in the hospice I often spoke to the coffee shop volunteer and it really helped to have someone to chat to.

Barbara often receives thank you cards from our patient’s relatives thanking her for taking the time to chat to them at a very difficult time in their lives. One lady recently said “We call her the coffee shop queen!”

She also volunteers on our reception and with the fundraising department, helping at collections and events, as pictured below.

Barbara featured in a short film that one of our corporate supporters, Social Chain, put together as part of our Accumulator Challenge, which you can watch here.

Feeling inspired?

Whether you have a couple of hours a week to spare or a couple of days, every single bit of support makes a difference to our patients and their families.