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Theme: Volunteering

We’re putting out an urgent appeal for volunteers to support staff in our shops across Greater Manchester

June 8, 2018 | 4:46pm

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.

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


We have 14 shops across Greater Manchester and they are really busy community hubs – so busy in fact that we really need some extra support from willing volunteers! 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. It’s vital we recruit more volunteers so that we can continue to provide our services, and there’s such a wide range of roles for people to support us with we’re hoping there’s something that will appeal to everyone.  We need help with everything from window displays and merchandising to serving customers, organising books and DVDs, and collecting and delivering furniture.


Amanda Brooks, Trading Company Manager


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.


Amanda Brooks, Trading Company Manager

Do you think you can help?

If you’re interested in volunteering in our shops you can contact Louise Fleming, Volunteer Manager at St Ann’s on 0161 498 3653 or register online by clicking below.

Register your interest now!




Celebrating Volunteers’ Week 2018

June 7, 2018 | 8:53am

This week is Volunteers’ Week 2018! We like to tell our volunteers how much we appreciate them all year round, but this week, as it’s Volunteers’ Week, we wanted to say a special thank you to each and every person who gives their time so generously.

We simply couldn’t run the hospice without our volunteers. Whether you spend a couple of hours a week or a couple of days volunteering, every single bit of support makes a difference to our patients and their families.

We made a short film to thank all our fantastic volunteers, you can watch it here.

We have had an array of activities taking place this week including thank you events in day care and there have been lots of treats for volunteers to enjoy. All volunteers were able to get a complimentary hot drink and cake from the hospice coffee shops and there have been sweet boxes with comments that patients and families have said about volunteers.

We also had a ‘Twitter Takeover’ from some of our shop volunteers, who provided the Twitter community with an inside look at their volunteering roles for a full day featuring all the varied tasks that they do. You can see the Tweets below or go to our Twitter page:

Today we have some fabulous volunteers from our charity shop in who are going to be taking over our Twitter feed for the day sharing what they do on a regular day! If you have any questions feel free to Tweet them!

Sheila – First thing I do when I get in is put the kettle on & make sure everyone has a brew!

Jackie & Sheila – At the start of the day we get the shop looking nice & tidy, ensuring that all the clothes are on hangers properly & sorted correctly. Even though it’s a charity shop, it’s important that it is welcoming for customers.

Sue – I am usually on the tills as I’ve been trained up so I can serve customers & process payments. I enjoy it as I get to chat to customers!

Alan – My favourite job is to steam the clothes we get donated so they look presentable in the shop. It’s so much easier than ironing!

Sue – I often check our stock to see if any items would be more profitable to be sold on our eBay shop. I found this Delph cow jug which was selling for nearly £100 on eBay! You can visit our online shops here:

Sheila – I help sort out any textile items that we’re not able to sell & we have a ‘rag man’ who comes once a week that buys them off us & we can even collect GiftAid on these items too!

Jackie – I love chatting to customers & I enjoy helping them find things to compliment their outfit, such as accessories, like this fascinator I picked out for someone going to a wedding!

Sue – People don’t realise that we also sell new goods, we’ve got lots of summer items in, including these great roller suitcases & some fab decorations! Come down & check them out! Find your nearest shop here:

Sue, Jackie & Sheila – We’re going to be models in a Fashion Show on June 15 at so we’ve been choosing the outfits we’re going to wear on the catwalk! Get your tickets they’re only £6 with a drink!

Sue – If a customer decides they no longer want an item we do accept returns within 28 days & if they have a receipt. I can process these on the till & provide them with a refund

That’s all from our shop volunteers today, we hope you enjoyed seeing what they get up to! If it inspired you to want to volunteer with us we’re currently looking for more shop volunteers, to find out more go to:

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.

Register your interest to volunteer for St Ann’s here!




Five minutes with… Chair of the Board of Trustees, Jackie Oldham

June 6, 2018 | 8:00am
Jackie Oldham

Our staff and volunteers are what make St Ann’s the amazing place it is. Our hospice trustees are also 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. Here we spend five minutes with Jackie, to find out why she became a trustee and what makes her tick.

What does your role as a trustee involve?

As Chair of the Board, I have a strategic role to play to help shape and represent the vision and purpose of the organisation.  I’m also responsible for ensuring St Ann’s functions properly and we look after and safeguard our patients, carers, staff and volunteers to the absolute best of our ability

Why did you choose to become a trustee?

An absolute passion to ensure we provide the best care for as wide a population as possible in Greater Manchester

Why did you choose St Ann’s Hospice?

St Ann’s has an excellent reputation with considerable strategic vision, drive and ambition, great leadership, staff and a phenomenal team of volunteers

What’s the best thing about being a trustee for St Ann’s Hospice?

Meeting patient’s, their carers, volunteers and staff and hearing about the difference St Ann’s has made to their lives and those of the people we care for.

What’s the worst thing about it?

I wish I had more hours to the day to do even more

Tell us about your career

I’m a nurse by training who went onto study for a scientific PhD exploring how nerves speak to muscles. Since then I’ve been interested in healthcare innovation. I’m currently Director of Strategic Initiatives for our innovation teams in Manchester helping drive improvements in health and social care including hospice care, for our Greater Manchester residents.

Do you volunteer for any other charities?

Not at the moment, I want to devote my volunteering time and energies to St Ann’s

What do you get up to outside of work?

Anything outdoors – I crave fresh air – though I hate the rain!

What makes you happy?

Working and spending time with great colleagues and friends who are all pulling in the same direction and time with my partner Alex.

Sum yourself up in three words

Driven, ambitious, loving!

 

Meet our trustees

Find out more about all of our trustees

Click here to find out more




A day in the life of one of our volunteer drivers

June 5, 2018 | 10:02am

My name is Joy and I volunteer as a driver with St Ann’s. I’ve been a supporter of St Ann’s for over 30 years and I’m involved with a local ladies group who help fundraise for the hospice.

After retiring I decided I wanted to volunteer here and the driver role was the only one they had available. At first I was a little bit apprehensive about driving patients but I now thoroughly enjoy it and I’ve been a volunteer here for just over a year.

Friday is my day for driving for St Ann’s Hospice. It’s one of those days in every week that I look forward to and I enjoy being able to give something back.

I am assigned a patient for 12 weeks who I will drive to and from the hospice one day a week to attend day care.

8.30am – I phone the patient to check they are okay and well enough to attend St Ann’s day care that day.

9am – I drive to their address, ensuring I leave enough time in case there is traffic or any delays on the way that I might encounter. I collect them from their home, helping them in and out of the car. I try to make them as comfortable as possible and we usually have a bit of light conversation on the way to the hospice to help put them at ease.

9.45am – I usually aim to get the patient to the hospice before 10am, when day care starts.

After that I can leave to do whatever I need to do that day until I return to pick them up.

Every other Friday I will stay and help out in day care. I enjoy volunteering in day care as there is such a nice group of people and there is a positive and friendly atmosphere.

The patients spend the day taking part in a programme of creative therapy activities, such as still life painting, acrylic, silk and glass painting, mosaics and journal work. It all depends on the needs of the patients and what they want to achieve, it’s amazing what they can do there.

There’s also a range of social activities and entertainment that the staff arrange, which will usually be themed dependent on the time of year or what current events are on, such as the recent Royal Wedding!

There are also a number of services that patients can take advantage of including complementary therapies, counselling and they can even book in to get their hair cut by the resident hairdresser!

Or they can spend their time just being able to relax in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere and enjoy a home-made delicious lunch.

2.30pm – If I’ve not stayed to help out, I return to the hospice a bit early and grab a cup of tea and have a chat with the other volunteers before day care finishes at 3pm.

3pm – After day care is finished I take the patient home.

At the end of the day, I feel good to have helped at the hospice and seeing that the patients are enjoying their day is really rewarding.

The hospice relies on over 700 volunteers to help continue to run our services. We currently need more volunteer drivers to help drive our patients. Drivers are amongst a fantastic team of volunteers all of whom receive an induction and training from the hospice to help carry out their roles, including how to help move patients and communicate with them.

The volunteer driver role would be good for people who can’t spare too much time, as it only takes up a couple of hours a week and all expenses are covered by the hospice.

Feeling inspired?

We urgently need more volunteer drivers! 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.

Register now!




The 76 year age gap!

June 1, 2018 | 7:25am

This week is Volunteers’ Week, which is a great opportunity to celebrate volunteering in all its diversity and gives us a chance to say thank you to our amazing volunteers for their fantastic contribution. Here at St Ann’s Hospice we are supported by over 700 amazing volunteers.

Our youngest volunteers are our 16 year old students, many of who are hoping to pursue a career in medicine. Shortly after they start their A-Levels, the schools and colleges talk avidly about gaining experience in their chosen career fields. Medicine is a competitive course, not only are students expected to gain A’s in their chosen A-Level subjects, but they are also expected to have volunteering experience in a medical setting.

Here at the hospice, we have over 70 volunteers who are studying ready to apply for a degree in Medicine. The majority of these volunteer support us on the wards, giving out refreshments and gaining confidence by talking to our patients and absorbing their experiences in a clinical setting. Most students stay for between 12-18 months, finishing just before they embark on their Medical degrees.

Then we have our oldest volunteer, our 92 year old flower arranger who has been with us just over five years.  An active part of our team who brings with her a world of experiences to talk to our patients about. Coming in on a Monday morning, getting a lift with her niece who volunteers in the Coffee Shop, her floral arrangements cheer our patients up.

About 30% of our volunteers are aged between 20-60 and offer their time outside of work, many with personal reasons for wanting to give their time back to St Ann’s.  Then comes our biggest group of volunteers, our retirees, who equate for over half the volunteer workforce. With more time to spare and a sense of wanting to support their local community. With many life skills to offer, our retirees are an essential part of the team.

So be it a 16 year old just starting out, or our retirees sharing their spare time, we appreciate all volunteers and thank each and every one for the dedication, commitment and support.

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.

Register now!




Blog post by Jackie Oldham, Chair of the Board of Trustees at St Ann’s

May 11, 2018 | 11:33am
Jackie Oldham

I enjoy being involved with St Ann’s Hospice as its Chair of the Board of Trustees for many of the same reasons others choose to volunteer their time – I enjoy seeing the impact the work we do has on local patients and their lives, I feel satisfaction at being able to work as part of such an amazing team, and what people say about the way ‘giving something back’ makes you feel is definitely true.

But, since joining St Ann’s, I’ve also found that one of the most incredible things is that I’m privileged to hear the stories of local people, their lives, and their experience of hospice care.  It’s so heartwarming to hear people talk about the world-class care they’ve received and use phrases like ‘blanket of love’, or ‘life-changing support’.

To hear words like life-changing when referring to hospices may feel strange to some people, especially those who haven’t come into contact with hospice care before.  To many, hospices conjure up visions of a place where people go at the very end of their life – sad places.

But the truth is, the modern hospice movement couldn’t be further from that vision of sadness.  Of course, we do support people through very sad times.  We care for people at what, for many, is one of the most vulnerable times of their life, and we try to make their final days as comfortable as possible whilst also being there for their loved ones.

But, in addition to that vital end of life care, hospices like St Ann’s also provide care to patients right from the point of their diagnosis, through treatment, and beyond.  We’re there for them if they need psychological support, or if they require help managing symptoms during their treatment.  We are out in their local community.  We can provide complementary therapies to help them to relax.  We can help them with practical issues that come with long-term illnesses.  We provide them access to doctors or specialist nurses, or to day care activities such as art therapy – and everything in between.

We have an army of staff and more than 700 volunteers who make all of that possible, and each and every one is a cog that makes a huge difference in that wheel of care.  They come from right across Greater Manchester and I’d like to thank each and every one of them on behalf of our patients and their families.  I’ve heard first-hand the difference that support makes to the quality of people’s lives, and I couldn’t be prouder to volunteer with such an amazing charity.

Meet our trustees

Find out more about our trustees

Click here




Volunteering team nominated for Manchester Award

May 3, 2018 | 10:39am

The Greater Manchester Health and Care Champion Awards 2018 are the first in the city-region to recognise members of our paid and unpaid health and care workforce who regularly go above and beyond to improve the health and well-being of the people of Greater Manchester.

The St Ann’s Hospice Volunteering Team has been shortlisted for the Dedication to Volunteering Award alongside Bill McKenna, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust and Village Angels, LGBT Foundation.

The awards are organised by Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, the body that oversees the area’s £6bn devolved health and social care budget, with support from the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham. Award categories include ‘Outstanding Carer’, ‘Apprentice of the Year’, ‘Dedication to volunteering’ and the ‘People’s Champion’.

All nominations will be considered by a judging panel and the winners announced at a sponsored event in July.

For more information about the awards and to see the full shortlist go to:  https://www.gmchampionawards.co.uk/news/shortlist-announced/

We look forward to the awards being announced in July but whatever the outcome we’re so proud of all of our amazing volunteers, we simply couldn’t run the hospice without them. 

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.

Sign up now!




The decorations may have been packed away, but we’ve received a very special post-Christmas boost

February 1, 2018 | 1:04pm
Justhelping Christmas tree recycling

National charity JustHelping, which organises Christmas tree collections in aid of hospices across the UK, has made a donation of £17,500 to St Ann’s to help us support local patients.

Around 100 volunteers collected more than 1,600 trees from homes in the Stockport, Heatons, Altrincham and Hale areas, as part of a major community recycling initiative.

Members of the public could make a donation to the charity to have their tree collected, with a fifth of the total raised allocated to local charities nominated by the volunteer organisations involved in collecting the trees.  The rest was donated to us.

Clare Hinton, JustHelping’s Chief Executive, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who made a donation and to all of the amazing volunteers who made the collections possible.

“Trees were gathered over two days in early January and our volunteers included the 3rd Hazel Grove Scouts group, Friends of John Leigh Park, the ladies from the Gossip Girls in Bramhall and Cheadle, and members of Didsbury and Bramhall Cricket club, amongst others.  It’s impossible to mention everyone by name, but we are so appreciative of all of the time and energy everyone gave to making this happen.

“JustHelping is all about communities coming together to do something amazing for local charities and hospices, and we’re thrilled that we’ve been able to do just that by raising such a huge amount of money.”

The charity gained sponsorship from Famous Henrys, Oscars Pet Food, Roost Rotisserie (Heaton Moor) and Lovell (Altrincham) which enabled the printing of leaflets and banners to promote the initiative, as well as social media promotion boosts.  Bramhall Cricket Club and Bowden Rugby Club allowed the use of their land and facilities for teams, whilst Spectrum Plant hire provided the free loan of the tree chipper, and Treework Arboricultural Services helped with chipping of the trees.

Europcar also supported the initiative with the free loan of vans for the collections, with 121 Systems of Nottingham helping with routing maps for the volunteers to collect the trees.

RF Fielding of Dean Farm, Woodford supplied the vehicles to remove the chippings and the chipped trees were taken to Dean Farm where they will be used for mulch ensuring complete recycling of the Christmas trees.

St Ann’s Chief Executive, Eamonn O’Neal, said: “As a charity that has been part of the local communities we serve for almost half a century we’re always amazed and humbled to see so many people coming together in support of our patients.

“The JustHelping tree recycling initiative has brought together many people from those local communities and we’re enormously grateful for everyone’s time and effort in raising such an amazing amount.  It will make a huge difference to our patients and their families, and we can’t thank everyone who took part or donated enough.”

JustHelping was founded in Prestbury in 2012 through philanthropic support.

We need to raise £16,000 every day to keep the hospice doors open

We’re more than just a charity to our patients. Every single penny donated makes a huge difference to their lives.

Click here to find out how you can get involved.