MARIE Curie is saying a big thank you everyone in Solihull who gives the gift of time and makes a difference to the charity this volunteers week.
Volunteers Week, which runs from June 1 to 7, is an annual event celebrating the contribution made by millions of volunteers across the UK and this year the theme is You Make The Difference.
Marie Curie helper volunteers support people living with a terminal illness by visiting them regularly to have a chat over a cup of tea or helping them get to an appointment.
Others raise money by running a marathon or give up their time to volunteer in the Marie Curie shops.
Some people use their skills as a massage therapist or a gardener and offer their services to the hospice for free.
Andrea Clews has been volunteering at the Marie Curie Hospice, Solihull, for over two years offering beauty treatments to patients, carers and staff.
Andrea became involved with the Marsh Lane Hospice after a friend started to fundraise for Marie Curie, where she knew she wanted to use her skills to help patients.
She said: “Everyone is so appreciative of what I do and that makes it for me. I’ve never walked out of the hospice feeling down but that I have done something good for people.”
Across the country over 10,000 people donate their time, skills and enthusiasm to help the charity support people living with a terminal illness and their families.
Marie Curie’s head of volunteering, Debbie Hill, says: “Without volunteers we couldn’t deliver the essential support we do. From the people who volunteer in our shops and offices, those who help in hospices and people’s homes, to the fundraisers out raising money in their local communities – each individual keeps Marie Curie going. The truth is we would be lost without them.”
To find out more about volunteering for Marie Curie visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering
