Volunteer Sheila’s seaside stay

15th May 2024

Hidden volunteer heroes

Our volunteers are a truly inspiring bunch. They selflessly give up their time to help others, rarely getting time themselves to relax and unwind.

So we were over the moon when one of our dedicated volunteers was awarded a special mini-break thanks to Room to Reward, a volunteer-recognition charity who offer UK based breaks for hidden heroes.

Sheila Eccleston, who lives in Hooe, has been volunteering for half a day every week on our reception at our specialist unit at Turnchapel for the last decade, having celebrated her 10 year anniversary in November last year. It was her unwavering dedication and kind-hearted nature that meant she was nominated for the reward.

Seaside break

Sheila, a retired office worker at John Kitto Community College said: “I love the variety of the role on reception and getting to meet so many different people and it extends my skills from my previous role at John Kitto.”

Sheila enjoyed a seaside break at Hoburne Blue Anchor Holiday Park near Minehead and despite the weather not cooperating she was able to explore the local area while trying out one of their onsite caravans.

Valued volunteers

Sheila said: “It was a lovely surprise to be told I had been nominated by St Luke’s for a reward for my volunteer role on reception here. Volunteers are so important to enable St Luke’s to deliver that care and support, going over and above for an organisation to sign up to Room to Reward and for my manager Jenny to nominate me really demonstrates how valued volunteers are to St Luke’s. Thank you!

“My husband Andrew and I spent a lovely long weekend at Blue Anchor Holiday Park near Minehead, in a sparkling and cosy caravan. Saturday was very cold and quite wet, so we spent the day exploring in the car and had a fascinating guided tour of the RNLI Lifeboat station in Minehead.

“On Sunday we were joined by our daughter Hannah and we’d booked Rover tickets on the West Somerset Steam Railway – a perfect way to see the beautiful countryside, with stops to explore in Bishop’s Lydeard and Minehead station. And on Monday we visited Dunster Castle and learnt lots of history about this lovely National Trust property.

“All in all, we packed a lot in, and I’m so grateful that we were lucky enough to enjoy this break – thank you to St Luke’s!”

Would you be interested in volunteering for St Luke’s?

Our volunteers are the backbone of our charity, always going above and beyond. If you would be interested in volunteering, then please get in touch as we have lots of roles available and would love to hear from you. Click here to find out more.

Volunteer with us Work with us

Related articles

, ,

Meet the Guiding Lights Artists

A host of talented artists are using their vision and skill to transform 2.4 metre tall blank white lighthouse sculptures into vibrant and imaginative beacons of hope. Their creations will brighten the streets of Plymouth this summer as part of St Luke’s Guiding Lights Sculpture Trail and Auction, raising vital funds for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth and its work in the local community.
Road to London_ Stu's story
, ,

BLOG: Road to London: Stu’s story

For Stu Collyer, running has never come naturally - certainly not the kind of miles that lead to the London Marathon, and definitely not the kind of training carried out on the cramped flight deck of a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship.
St Luke's Drake City Centre Shop
, ,

BLOG: Landmark city centre store reopens after major refit

St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s landmark Drake store has reopened after a top-to-toe refit, and its transformation is stopping city centre shoppers in their tracks.
Vet Sinéad Short
, ,

BLOG: Putting down the stethoscope, lacing up the trainers in aid of St Luke’s

Local vet Sinéad Short will be swapping her stethoscope for her trainers next weekend, as she takes on the Dartmoor Marathon in memory of her father. Taking place on Sunday 12 April, the marathon will see Sinéad - originally from Yelverton - taking on the stunning, yet rugged landscapes of Dartmoor, all while raising money for St Luke’s.
, ,

BLOG: Need-a-Cab backs St Luke’s ‘Sponsor a Nurse’ with heartfelt support

Local taxi firm Need a Cab has stepped forward to sponsor St Luke’s Sponsor a Nurse campaign, helping to keep our nurses on the roads and on the wards so they can continue delivering expert hospice care across the community.
, ,

BLOG: Shine a light on hospice care at St Luke’s Midnight Walk

Get ready - St Luke’s iconic Midnight Walk returns for 2026! Step out under the stars to celebrate treasured memories of loved ones and raise vital funds for the compassionate local care we deliver across the community.
Helping schools talk about death and loss
, ,

BLOG: Hospice’s pioneering programme helps schools talk about death

Schools in East Cornwall are opening up brave conversations about death, dying, loss and bereavement with children, teachers and families with the aid of a transformative community education programme created by St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth.
Aimee and Dan
, ,

BLOG: A date night to remember for Aimee and Dan at St Luke’s

After being admitted to St Luke’s specialist unit to manage the complex symptoms of her stage four cancer, Aimee Sumner was really missing date nights with her husband, Dan. So when she asked if it was possible to set up something at the hospice, the team pulled out all the stops to create a memorable soiree for the couple.
, ,

BLOG: Pedalling for St Luke’s: Tugboats and Dolphins take on a 1,200 mile challenge

When three friends from Plymouth set off from Dover today, they’ll be carrying far more than their bikes and kit. They’ll be kicking off one of many challenges in their year long mission to raise £15,000 to help St Luke’s care for families across our community.
PreviousNext

Our Care

Support us

Courses

Information

BLOG: Making miles matter for DadBLOG: Roger Young revs up to keep St Luke’s on the road