Foyle Hospice marks 'Volunteers’ Week' with heartfelt tribute to dedicated team

Foyle Hospice is proud to celebrate Volunteers’ Week (1–7 June) by recognising the incredible dedication, kindness and commitment shown by volunteers across the organisation every single year.

Volunteers are at the heart of Foyle Hospice and play a vital role in helping continue the provision of specialist palliative care and support to patients, families and carers throughout the North West. From fundraising and retail to gardening, administration and patient support, volunteers bring invaluable skills, compassion and community spirit to every area of the hospice.

One of those volunteers is 24-year-old Richard Hegarty, who began volunteering with Foyle Hospice last July and has become a valued member of the hospice retail team.

Richard first became involved through the NOW Group, an award-winning social enterprise which supports people who are neurodiverse, autistic or have a learning difficulty into meaningful employment and future opportunities.

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Richard volunteers in the Foyle Hospice Strabane Shop, where his duties include sorting clothing donations, preparing stock for the shop floor, tidying displays, and cleaning and assisting customers.

Speaking about the benefits of volunteering, Richard said one of the things he enjoys most is the sense of community.

“I enjoy the company of everyone else, all the staff and meeting new people,” he explained. “I also enjoy serving customers and learning new skills.”

Richard said signing up to volunteer was simple and straightforward.

“I just had to fill in a form which I got from the shop. There is also the option to fill out an online form at the Foyle Hospice website. The Volunteer Coordinator then got in touch with me. It was a very easy process.”

Encouraging others to consider volunteering, Richard added: “I would definitely recommend it.”

He also praised the appreciation shown towards volunteers at the hospice, including being invited to volunteer appreciation events and Christmas celebrations.

Rachael Dobbins, Volunteer Coordinator at Foyle Hospice, said the organisation is incredibly grateful for the continued support of its volunteer community, particularly following the hospice’s recent 40th anniversary celebrations.

“Last year, as we celebrated 40 years of Foyle Hospice, it gave us an opportunity to reflect on the thousands of people who have supported the hospice over the decades — and our volunteers have always been a huge part of that journey,” she explained.

“We are extremely proud of our volunteer community within Foyle Hospice. We have volunteers across so many different areas of the charity.

“Each volunteer brings their own unique skills, experience and personality, and they play such an important role within our organisation. Their support helps us continue providing care and compassion to patients and families across our community.

“We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of our volunteers for their continuous hard work, kindness and dedication to Foyle Hospice.”

Foyle Hospice is committed to ensuring every volunteer has a rewarding and positive experience. Many people choose to volunteer to support a meaningful cause, meet new people, build confidence, develop skills or simply give back to their local community.

The hospice is always delighted to welcome new volunteers and is encouraging anyone interested in getting involved to reach out.

To find out more about volunteering opportunities at Foyle Hospice, contact Volunteer Coordinator Rachael Dobbins by email: [email protected] or by calling: 028 7135 1010. Alternatively, you can visit: www.foylehospice.com/get-involved/volunteering/