I’m proud to be a Martlets volunteer because I feel I make a difference

I’m proud to be a Martlets volunteer because I feel I make a difference

Eileen Donner volunteers with our online trading team. She has been volunteering 10 hours a week since returning to her role after the first lockdown.  

In the last 12 months, she has packed an incredible 2,486 items. They are all for people who’ve bought through our online stores. 

“I used to work in the city in insurance. When I retired I was looking for something to do and volunteering seemed like a good option. I used to volunteer in a library helping people with computers and I have been volunteering for about 8 years in total.  

I can’t quite recall how I chose volunteering at Martlets but books was the general theme that interested me. It was how I started at the library and when I first volunteered at Martlets my role was listing books for sale and that really interested me.”

What I love about volunteering with Martlets

“I like working with the team and we’ve made so much progress over the last few years. It is great to see how the sales volumes go up after we’ve made changes. Volunteering with online you’re busy listing and packing and then you can see how the number of orders goes up and how much money we raise for the hospice. It is really inspiring. 

Eileen volunteering at our online trading team

Last year everything was closed but when I found out that online was reopening I made enquiries about helping again. I was the first volunteer to come back after the first lockdown. For quite sometime it was just me and the online sales manager here. It is nice to be able to keep everything going and feel like you could be instrumental in how things run. 

The most memorable item I’ve packed…there’s been so many. But just last week we had a Paddington Bear in a box and it was just beautiful – it was made by Jeremy Clarkson’s mother and it was just lovely.

If you’re thinking about volunteering I would say give it a go – I’m trying to encourage my husband to do more as he’s been helping out recently at the vaccination centre.” 

A big thank you from Martlets

Martlets online trading assistant manager Hayley Aston says. “We are so grateful to Eileen and all our volunteers. They are incredibly important to online trading – we simply wouldn’t make any sales at all without them. They do everything to help us run from stock sorting to research and dispatch.  

We are looking for new volunteers to help us research, list and dispatch goods to support life-changing hospice care. We’d love volunteers from all walks of life. And particularly anyone who is a specialist in a certain field – such as cameras or vinyl – is always greatly needed. Also the roles would suit people who really like research, people who like to take photos and anyone who has a real curiosity for finding out things. We do offer training and support but some basic IT skills are helpful.” 

Interested in voluntering? Find out more:

Your time is priceless. Whether you can volunteer with us for a few hours once in a while, or a regular shift. As part of #TeamMartlets, you’ll play a crucial part in keeping your local hospice caring.

 

Published 01/06/2021