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Theme: Volunteering

Volunteers’ Week 2023

June 7, 2023 | 9:10pm

Volunteers’ Week runs 1st-7th June, and this annual celebration is a chance to recognise the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities.

St Ann’s Hospice would like to take this opportunity to thank our amazing volunteers who support us in so many ways. We simply could not continue to provide our care without their help and we are extremely grateful to each and every one of them for their support.

We’re shining a spotlight on just a few of our team of incredible volunteers to celebrate them this Volunteers’ Week.


My favourite thing about volunteering is seeing the variety of items people donate – it’s really interesting. I would recommend volunteering at St Ann’s to anyone, and I have done! My husband is going to start at the shop as well.


Sheena, Volunteer, Distribution Centre


At the time I signed up I was suffering from chronic fatigue and needed purpose. I wanted to give something back to the community.


Tracey, Volunteer, Distribution Centre

Read Sheena & Tracey’s story here.


I volunteer to help the hospice and also increase my knowledge and learn about eBay, so it’s two-fold. I would really recommend volunteering to meet people. It’s better than staying in! Plus you get the knowledge and new skills – you might become an eBay millionaire through learning at St Ann’s!


Jeff, Volunteer, Online Sales Team

Read Jeff’s story here.


Early retirement has given me the time and opportunity to volunteer, including supporting the Fundraising Team in their ongoing Build It Together campaign, as well as being a volunteer driver for the Being You Centre. I hope that supportive role can further evolve as building works for the new hospice begin, allowing me to share in the St Ann’s journey at this most exciting time.


Graham, Volunteer

Read Graham’s story here.


I needed to do something moving forward and decided to give back to St Ann’s after they cared for my mum. I’d never worked in a shop before, but I like meeting people, talking to them and having a joke with them. I get on with the team and get a real reward out of doing it.


Ian, Volunteer, Sale shop

Could you volunteer at St Ann’s?

You’ll be challenged, inspired, and empowered to help us achieve our purpose and to play your part in making a difference.

We’re currently looking for volunteers across the organisation in our shops, Online Sales Team, Fundraising Team and in our hospices. Find out more here.

Volunteering at St Ann’s

Find out more information about all of our current volunteering opportunities.

Find out more




Get a taste of volunteering at St Ann’s Hospice shops

May 30, 2023 | 6:11pm

As part of The Big Help Out, a national initiative to raise awareness of and provide opportunities for volunteering, St Ann’s Hospice is offering volunteer taster sessions for anyone interested in finding out more about volunteering at our charity shops.

The taster sessions will take place every Thursday until 8th June across six of our charity shops in Heald Green, Stockport, Edgeley, Sale, Altrincham and Little Hulton. All the sessions are two hours, either from 10am-12pm or 2-4pm.

This is a great opportunity to meet new people and learn new skills, all whilst doing your bit to support St Ann’s Hospice.


We are really pleased to be part of The Big Help Out and offer taster sessions for volunteers in our St Ann’s Hospice charity shops. Our shops raise thousands of pounds for St Ann’s Hospice every year and we couldn’t continue to do this without the work and commitment of our shop volunteers. Volunteering in our shops is a great way to meet new people and learn new skills, while making a valuable contribution to St Ann’s. The volunteer taster sessions provide an opportunity for anyone curious about volunteering to meet the shop teams and find out more about how our volunteers help, from sorting donated items and preparing them for sale to creating exciting window displays.


Trudi Ogden, Co-Head of Trading, St Ann’s Hospice

Ian Stewart, a volunteer at the St Ann’s Hospice shop in Sale, has been volunteering for six years since he retired in 2017.


I needed to do something moving forward and decided to give back to St Ann’s after they cared for my mum. I’d never worked in a shop before, but I like meeting people, talking to them and having a joke with them. I get on with the team and get a real reward out of doing it.


Ian Stewart, Volunteer, St Ann’s Hospice

Volunteers have been joining the taster sessions since The Big Help Out was launched on 8th May as part of the Coronation weekend. The Big Help Out estimate that 6,510,000 million people participated in 55,123 events across the country, and hope that it will encourage further volunteer participation in local communities.

There are opportunities to become a permanent volunteer if you enjoy your taster session, with St Ann’s Hospice always looking for people to join our friendly teams across Greater Manchester.

To book a session or find out more details, you can download The Big Help Out app via the App Store, or alternatively visit the website at app.thebighelpout.com.

Celebrating Volunteers’ Week 2022

May 31, 2022 | 3:55pm

So many people across Greater Manchester selflessly give their time to help others.  I’m proud to be part of a community – and city – that has so many individuals who are passionate about making a difference.  

This week, as the UK marks Volunteers’ Week (1 – 7 June), I’d like to thank and celebrate the hundreds of volunteers who support St Ann’s Hospice.   

We have more than 600 volunteers who share their expertise, time and skills, supporting us in so many different ways.  

From our hospice shops and fundraising events and activities, to running our cafés and supporting clinical staff on our wards, we’ve benefitted from the generosity of volunteers for so many years. 

They give many thousands of hours between them each year, and some have been volunteering for an incredible 50 years or more.  We simply couldn’t carry on providing our specialist palliative and end of life care without their support.   

We’re hugely grateful and I’d like to say a big thank you to each and every one of them. I’d also like to thank all of the other people across our fantastic city who selflessly volunteer their time to help others too.  

You’re all amazing.  Thank you. 

Calling for shop volunteers

January 13, 2022 | 8:55am

We’re asking local people to consider donating just a few hours of their time each week to help our shop staff raise vital funds to support local patients. 

We receive around a third of its funding from the NHS, so we rely on income from donations and our trading company to carry on our work. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to many of our fundraising events and activities being postponed or cancelled, which has meant raising funds through their shops is even more important than ever to ensure we can carry on providing our specialist care. 


The hospice’s ability to fundraise has been hugely impacted by the pandemic and our shops are doing really well as local hubs for people in the community to buy new or preloved goods in a safe environment. 

However, we’re in real need of volunteers who can help our dedicated teams in a variety of ways. We’d love to hear from anyone who might be willing to help by giving a few hours of their time each week at any of our store locations – but particularly in Sale, Altrincham, and Edgeley. 

Our online sales team and staff at our distribution centre in Reddish are also looking for support from people who could help with photography, posting and packing, and sorting goods for our shops too. 

The role of a charity shop volunteer has really changed in recent years, and we see people of all ages who really benefit from the experience.  We need help with everything from window displays and merchandising, to serving customers, organising stock, and lots more in between.  There’s something to suit everyone’s needs, so please do get in touch if you might be able to help.


Ryan Perkins, Trading Company

Volunteer at our shops!

We’re always looking for new volunteers to help out at our many shops. Anyone interested in supporting the hospice can call 0161 477 7839 from 10am to 2pm Monday to Friday, or pop into your local St Ann’s Hospice shop and ask for details or click the link below.

Click here




Volunteer with St Ann’s!

June 30, 2021 | 7:37am

Following a huge increase in customer numbers after the easing of lockdown restrictions, we’re putting out an urgent appeal for volunteers to support staff in our online sales team and shops across Greater Manchester. 

St Ann’s is asking local people to consider donating just a few hours of their time each week to help shop staff raise vital funds to support local patients. 

Amanda Brooks, Head of the St Ann’s Trading Company, said: “It’s fantastic that customers are embracing their new freedoms by coming to purchase new and pre-loved goods at our covid-safe shops.   

“As a result of the fabulous increase in footfall, it’s vital we recruit more volunteers as soon as possible to support our team.  There’s such a wide range of volunteering roles available, and we’re hoping there’s something that will appeal to everyone.   

“We need help with everything from window displays and merchandising to serving customers, steaming clothes and organising books.  We’re also keen to hear from anyone who might be able to assist with weekend support in our new bridal boutique in Stockport. 

“Our online sales team and staff at our distribution centre in Reddish are also looking for support from people who could help with photography, posting and packing, and sorting goods for our shops too.” 

Our shops generate thousands of pounds worth of income every year for St Ann’s – income which enables our hospices to continue to provide care to local patients with cancer and other life- limiting illnesses. 

Amanda added: “The role of a charity shop volunteer has really changed in recent years, and we see people of all ages who come to us and really benefit from, and enjoy, the experience.    

“St Ann’s has to raise around £20,000 every day to keep the doors open, and we simply couldn’t do it without our army of loyal volunteers.  We have people who support us for a variety of reasons, some are job seekers looking to build their CV, others are retired people who are looking for a new challenge, and we also work with students who are helping broaden their skillset too.    

“We give full training and support, and we’d be keen to hear from anyone aged 16 and over who thinks they might be able to help out – even for a few hours a week.  Every small contribution makes a huge difference to our patients.”   

Anyone interested in supporting our hospice can call 0161 477 7839 from 10am to 2pm Monday to Friday, pop into their local hospice shop and ask for details or fill in a form online.  

Volunteer with St Ann’s!

Become a volunteer today and help make a difference to your local hospice today.

Find out more




Appeal for shop volunteers

June 3, 2021 | 7:30am

Following a huge increase in customer numbers after the easing of lockdown restrictions, St Ann’s is putting out an urgent appeal during Volunteers’ Week for volunteers to support staff in our online sales team and shops across Greater Manchester.

We’re asking local people to consider donating just a few hours of their time each week to help shop staff raise vital funds to support local patients.


It’s fantastic that customers are embracing their new freedoms by coming to purchase new and pre-loved goods at our covid-safe shops. As a result of the fabulous increase in footfall, it’s vital we recruit more volunteers as soon as possible to support our team. There’s such a wide range of volunteering roles available, and we’re hoping there’s something that will appeal to everyone.



Amanda Brooks, Head of St Ann’s Trading Company

Amanda said: “We need help with everything from window displays and merchandising to serving customers, steaming clothes and organising books.  We’re also looking for volunteers to help our furniture shop in Ardwick and are keen to hear from anyone who might be able to assist with weekend support in our new bridal boutique in Stockport.

“Our online sales team and staff at our distribution centre in Reddish are also looking for support from people who could help with photography, posting and packing, and sorting goods for our shops too.

“The role of a charity shop volunteer has really changed in recent years, and we see people of all ages who come to us and really benefit from, and enjoy, the experience.”


St Ann’s has to raise around £20,000 every day to keep the doors open, and we simply couldn’t do it without our army of loyal volunteers.  We have people who support us for a variety of reasons, some are job seekers looking to build their CV, others are retired people who are looking for a new challenge, and we also work with students who are helping broaden their skillset too.


Amanda Brooks

Amanda said: “We give full training and support, and we’d be keen to hear from anyone aged 16 and over who thinks they might be able to help out – even for a few hours a week. Every small contribution makes a huge difference to our patients.”

Anyone interested in supporting the hospice can call 0161 477 7839 from 10am to 2pm Monday to Friday, or pop into their local St Ann’s Hospice shop and ask for details.

Become a shop volunteer

Whether you’re a job seeker looking to build your CV, are retired and looking for a new challenge, or are a student who wants to broaden their skillset too, you can help us make a difference.

Fill in the application form online




St Ann’s Celebrates Volunteers Week

June 1, 2021 | 7:17am
Shop volunteers

“This week (1-7 June) is Volunteers Week, an opportunity for individuals and organisations across the UK to pay tribute to – and thank – the amazing people that selflessly give their time to help others.

“As Chief Executive of St Ann’s Hospice, I’ve seen first-hand the incredible difference volunteers from across Greater Manchester and beyond make to the lives of our patients and their loved ones.

“At St Ann’s, we are grateful to have an army of more than 700 fabulous volunteers who support our staff in so many ways, such as helping on our wards, providing therapies to patients, assisting teams across the organisation, or supporting our fundraising activities and shops. We really value their knowledge, skills and expertise, and appreciate the huge contribution they make to our charity.

“During the pandemic, many had to stand down from their regular volunteering roles for a while, but lots of them continued to help out in our shops when they were open, and also supported our fundraising and other activities remotely. When restrictions allow, we’re really looking forward to welcoming them back.”

“We’re so grateful for everything our volunteers do for St Ann’s, and I’d like to say a huge thank you to each and every one of them.

“I’d also like to thank all of the other people across our amazing city who selflessly donate their time to help others. Organisations like ours really do appreciate it, and I’m proud to live in a city where community spirit is so strong.”

Volunteer at St Ann’s

Right now we’re in need of volunteers to help at our shops and if you can spare a few hours each week, we would be so grateful!

Join #TeamStAnns today




Celebrating Trustees’ Week

November 2, 2020 | 10:00am

This week we’re celebrating Trustees’ Week (Monday 2nd – Friday 6th November) at St Ann’s. We’re so grateful to have our Trustees as part of Team St Ann’s and we’re taking this week as an opportunity to thank them for their commitment and dedication to the hospice.

Our trustees are volunteers and ensure proper governance of our charity. They offer invaluable advice and expertise, and they each give significant amounts of time each year in support of St Ann’s. They are all from a variety of backgrounds and hold senior positions in their chosen field.

Professor Jackie Oldham, Chair of the Board of Trustees at St Ann’s, said:

“This week is Trustees’ Week and gives us time to pause and reflect on the major contribution all of our Trustees make to St Ann’s Hospice. Our Board of Trustees is responsible for the strategic direction and governance of St Ann’s, ensuring we fulfil our objectives and ambitious plans for the future as well as adhering to our philosophy and values.

“The Trustee role is voluntary and is bourne out of a commitment to the organisation, our patients, families and friends, staff and volunteers. Many Trustees will have seen loved ones taken care of in St Ann’s or another a hospice. Others have a deep commitment to ensuring the success of St Ann’s. Whatever the motivation their commitment is phenomenal and in my experience the drive and passion of the St Ann’s Trustees remains unsurpassed.

“This week, we take a moment to offer thanks to each and everyone of our Trustees alongside each other and all of our staff and volunteers.”

Some of our Trustees shared their favourite hospice moments with us…


My favourite moments as a Trustee are being involved in clinical leadership walkabouts, and acting as the Trustee monitoring our Health and Safety standards. I enjoy meeting staff and patients face to face, and hearing their views about our services. Often staff just need reassuring about their own potential solutions to problems and harnessing them to tackle things at work. It is also humbling to observe the immense talent we have in clinical and other areas. Our patients are so grateful for all that is done for them.


Mike Brown, Vice Chair and Trustee


One favourite moment was doing a walk around the hospice and talking to patients about their really positive experiences of care at St Ann’s. It made me feel really proud of the staff and grateful to be a part of the team as a Trustee.


Fiona Taylor, Trustee

Fiona Taylor


My favourite moment during lockdown was attending a virtual meeting where the Executive Team explained how the hospice was dealing with the pandemic. Before the meeting I was expecting to hear bad news, but it was so reassuring to hear the positive stories. The staff were clearly doing an amazing job to keep the flag flying. I left the meeting with a warm feeling and total admiration for everyone at St Ann’s.


Luke Dillon, Trustee

Luke Dillon

Meet our Trustees

Get to know more about our Board of Trustees

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