Long-serving Babs Wilding believes volunteering provides a perfect platform for meeting new people and making friends.
The former nurse has been giving her time to support East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) for nearly 30 years, becoming part of the fabric at the charity’s Wymondham shop, in Market Place.
She says as well as supporting a cause she is passionate about, she also loves the opportunity to forge new friendships and says it is something she would recommend to anyone.
The mum of two is speaking out during EACH’s Care to Help campaign – a major recruitment drive taking place throughout May, encouraging extra volunteers to help in its 52 shops and Retail Distribution Centre, in Thetford. One of the key aims is to highlight the correlation between volunteering hours and the care and support EACH provides.
“I started when I was still in full-time work, after a lifetime in nursing,” said Babs.
“I’d moved around a lot because my husband was in the Navy, and we came to Norfolk from Aberdeen.
“I didn’t know anyone and wanted to meet new people. That’s how I first started, and I haven’t looked back since.
“I’ve made so many friends during my years here, including staff, volunteers and customers.
“You get to know the regulars, and everyone is so cheerful.
“I like keeping busy and enjoy seeing the shop looking neat and tidy. I find it very rewarding.”
Babs worked in orthopaedics and surgery during her proud nursing career. In addition to being based at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, she also spent time in places like Plymouth, Portsmouth and north of the border in Scotland.
Her long service to EACH has not gone unnoticed, and she has been fortunate enough to meet The Princess of Wales twice, when the charity’s Royal Patron officially opened EACH’s new shop in Holt, in 2016, and then The Nook, in 2019.
“EACH provides such a brilliant and much-needed service, and it’s an organisation I feel very passionately about,” she said.
“The quality of care never ceases to amaze me.
“From a volunteering point of view, it needs and deserves all the help it can get and that’s why I’m always happy to spread the word.
“There are so many things people can do to help and whatever time they can spare makes a difference, even if it’s just a couple of hours a week or fortnight.
“There’s such flexibility, and if people need to work around other things, like doing the school run, that’s fine.
“Some people enjoy being on the till, but, if not, there are many other jobs, like dealing with bric-a-brac, books, toys and clothing. You can sort, tag and price.”
EACH’s Care to Help campaign kicked off on 12th May. New volunteers are being encouraged to step up to the challenge and help change the lives of families receiving vital care and support.
To find out more about volunteering for EACH, pop into your local shop, visit each.org.uk/volunteering, email [email protected] or call 01223 205183 (option four).
