Hospiscare sales advisor of 10 years, Lorraine Seymour, decided to volunteer in her local Hospiscare shop after retiring. Lori has been volunteering at the Hospiscare shop on The Parade in Exmouth for over 3 years.
“I worked as a sales advisor in the Hospiscare Budleigh Salterton shop for 10 years. I really enjoyed it and when I retired I wanted to put my skills and experience to good use so I decided to volunteer. I have made a lot of friends at the Budleigh shop, and I still meet up with some of the volunteers, but Exmouth is easier for me to get to on public transport so I decided to volunteer one of the Hospiscare shops there.”
Lori has seen lots of change during her time at Hospiscare.
“I found it a little tricky to get used to the computerised till system when it was introduced. Some people had computers at home so found the new till very straightforward. It took a bit longer for me to get the hang of it but I discovered it was really easy in the end.
“I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn how to use computers. It’s a valuable skill that’s helped me keep up with technology outside of work. If I hadn’t become familiar with computers at work, I think I would have found it a lot harder to use them at home.”
Lori has found volunteering to be very different from being a paid member of staff.
“I’m able to choose how much time I want to donate, and the sort of jobs I like to do. I volunteer once a week on Thursday mornings and being able to decide what tasks I want to help with means I really enjoy my time volunteering in the shop.
“It took me some time to get used to a new shop after spending so much time as a staff member in Budleigh Hospiscare shop. There are some things, like how we price items for example, that are done slightly differently in Exmouth Parade shop. Once shop manager, Chris, was confident I understood the process I was able to just work away.
“It’s lovely to feel my experience is valued and respected as a volunteer without feeling that I’m expected to do everything I did as a sales advisor.”
Shop manager, Chris, says,
“Lori is a wonderful help in the shop. I’m very lucky to have her as a volunteer.”
To anyone thinking of volunteering in a Hospiscare shop, Lori says,
“Just give it a go! I’d recommend committing to at least a few weeks as it can take a little time to get used to the shop and learn about the different tasks you can do. Once you find a task you enjoy, volunteering can be so much fun!”
We’re always looking for more volunteers, if you’d like to help or find out more click here or ring 01392 428824 for more information.
