Charlie Coomer has volunteered for the Hospice in a variety of roles for over 18 years and now works in one of the Hospice shops, this is his story.

After a family bereavement Charlie, unemployed at the time, was at a loose end.  One of his friends happened to mention volunteering.  Charlie was unsure about the prospect initially but eventually visited Hartlepool Voluntary Development Agency (HVDA) and offered to volunteer as a driver.

Offered a place at the Hospice for one day a week, Charlie was soon a valued member of the Team.  One day turned to two, then three and eventually he was volunteering 5 days a week.

Charlie said, “I love volunteering for the Hospice, I feel like one of the team and no different from the employed staff.  I get called on to do all sorts of different things, helping our at events, driving the van and manning the phones in the Warehouse.  I love meeting people and always feel looked after, I am always included in meetings and social nights.  I have a huge amount of pride in the shop, I get very competitive with the other shops.”