Tag Archive for: volunteering

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BLOG: 102 and still a loyal volunteer!

At 102, retired nurse Rhoda Till is living proof that age is no barrier when it comes to volunteering for St Luke’s.
Giving back to her community is still hugely important for the former night ward sister, mother of three and great, great, grandmother who was inspired to join our charity shop team around 30 years ago when she saw how much her daughter, Rosemary, loved her weekly volunteering sessions.
“I didn’t think I would still be volunteering at 102 but I thoroughly enjoy every minute of it. It makes me feel useful and lets me enjoy a little bit of social life,” said Rhoda, who had the privilege of being introduced to the King when he paid a visit to St Luke’s in the 1990s. Then a couple of years’ ago he sent her a card for her 100th birthday.

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Cultivating care: The volunteers who keep our hospice gardens blooming

If you ever visit our specialist unit at Turnchapel one of the first things you will notice are the carefully cultivated gardens surrounding the hospice building.

Every Wednesday a group of 6 volunteers have been giving up their time to dedicate some care and love to our gardens, keeping them pruned, de-weeded and full of life. Their hard work creates a peaceful, welcoming space for patients, families and staff to enjoy – a place where nature offers comfort and calm during difficult times.

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BLOG: Smart new look, same local mission: St Luke’s unveils its refurbished charity shop in the heart of Tavistock

Already a favourite fixture for value, variety and sustainable shopping, St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s charity shop in Tavistock town centre has relaunched with a brand-new look. The fresh design and layout are designed to keep customers flocking in to browse and buy in support of local hospice care.

Following its three-week closure for the full-scale transformation, the shop once again opened its doors on Wednesday 23 July, welcoming bargain-hunters keen to check out the new interior and stock. Gone are the familiar orange décor and dated shelving, replaced by smart purple walls and contemporary black furnishings.

There to cut the ribbon was St Luke’s community team, part of our dedicated service looking after patients at home so that they can receive bespoke end-of-life care in their own familiar surroundings, close to loved ones.

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BLOG: Age is no barrier for Jean and Bernie

Age is no barrier when it comes to our Midnight Walkers. At 78 and 87, Jean Turfkruyer and Bernie Massey will be some of our oldest participants at our Midnight Walk on Friday, but the friends are not letting their age stop them from taking part and making a difference.

Jean and Bernie are two of our Compassionate Friends who volunteer at our Friends in the Park Compassionate Café at the Well Being Hub at Central Park.

The pair first met four years ago when the café was first set up for members of the community who are experiencing loss, bereavement or maybe affected by life limiting illness to meet.

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BLOG: Our Plymstock Bookshop is back bigger, better and bursting with books!

We officially reopened our beloved Plymstock Bookshop in its brand-new home on The Broadway Plymstock on Monday— and who better to cut the ribbon than The Gruffalo himself!

Rosie and Sophie, two of our very first visitors, were thrilled to meet our special guest.

Over the past year, we’ve sold more than 27,000 books to 16,300 customers — all from under 200 square feet! Now, we’ve quadrupled our space to welcome even more book lovers and stories.

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BLOG: Volunteers’ Week 2025: Celebrating the volunteers that shape our services

Volunteers are a unique breed. They do what they do out of the generosity in their hearts, giving their time for free to help others. This coming week is Volunteers’ Week (2-8 June), a chance to recognise and shine a light on the wonderful volunteers that shape our services. Our volunteers come from all walks of life, they bring with them passion and a diverse multitude of skills, whether they are working in our shops, at our flagship events or at our specialist unit at Turnchapel.

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BLOG: How your old spare change can transform into cash for our care

They hide down the backs of sofas, long forgotten in an old wallet or purse, or are tucked away in a box in the attic…we have all rediscovered spare currency – whether British or foreign – hidden somewhere in our homes.
One of our volunteers had a great surprise last week when a few kindly donated old banknotes made over £700 in profit for St Luke’s care after listing them on our ebay store. He is now asking everyone to consider donating any unneeded or old currency to St Luke’s.
Ian Anderson has been volunteering for St Luke’s for the last 12 years and has been putting his unique skills to the test helping out with our ebay department based at our Western Approach store.

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BLOG: Affordable, stylish and sustainable: our new Plympton charity shop has opened its doors!

With spring heralding new beginnings, what better time to open our newest charity shop? Featuring rails and shelves filled with carefully curated stock, our new Plympton shop welcomed its first customers this week, eager to see beyond the beautiful window display singing with the colours of the season.
Located just a step away from Iceland on the Ridgeway, the new store is full of affordable, sustainable, pre-loved treasures to profit hospice care for the local community. In this case, good-quality second-hand clothes and accessories artfully arranged by colour, plus items of homeware and bric-a-brac.

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BLOG: Hospice hero celebrates 35 years

As modest as he is kind, Andy Campbell would never describe himself as a ‘hospice hero’, but having reached the milestone of 35 years’ dedicated service with St Luke’s – making him the team’s longest serving current employee – it’s a title that could not be more deserved.

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BLOG: National Volunteers’ Week 2024 – celebrating the volunteers keeping St Luke’s services running

Behind the doors of St Luke’s you will find an intricate web of volunteers keeping our charity running.

This week is Volunteers’ Week (3-9 June), a chance to celebrate the wonderful team of volunteers that keep the cogs of St Luke’s turning. From working in our fleet of shops, to volunteering at our specialist unit, our volunteers are the backbone of our organisation.

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