Diane’s volunteering story

Diane is a regular volunteer at our shop in Stevenage where she gives her time alongside husband, Gary. Diane has been living in the area for over 60 years and enjoys helping out as it means she feels part of the community.

“Some of the older people come in and want a chat so you get to know them. In a lot of shops these days you have self service tills so they don’t get to see or speak to anyone when they go into town.”

“I live just around the corner from the shop and first heard about Willow a few years ago as I used to come in and get bits and pieces.

“I’ve been volunteering for 18 months now and Gary joined about six months before me. I started doing this as a way of meeting people and was helping with take downs to start with.

“I’ve moved onto doing other things now, like sorting the books and going on the till. I was a bit reluctant at first but I really enjoy meeting all the people that come in. I used to work on the tills in Tesco and always liked it there, chatting to the customers.

“I don’t have set days that I help out on but when volunteers are needed, Gary and I will come in and lend a hand.

“My favourite thing about volunteering is helping the charity and the 16 to 40-year-olds that Willow supports. Once you get to 16, you can be forgotten about because you’re a young adult. That’s what I like about helping out here – making a difference to the lives of those young people. It’s also nice that the charity is so local.

“We go around a lot of charity shops in our free time as my husband loves collecting toys. The atmosphere here is lovely though. You get to know people when you see them out and about and there’s a community feel. That’s what I enjoy.

“If you’re thinking about volunteering then just go and give it a try. You don’t have to jump straight in at the deep end or start out on the till. You could hang some clothes and gradually ease into it. It’s all about what you’re able to do.”

If you’ve got some free time, why not become a volunteer? Visit our webpage to find out more about volunteering at Willow.