Meet Derek, who has been volunteering with Julia’s House for more than 10 years. He shares how he first discovered the charity, the many ways he supports the team, and what makes volunteering so rewarding.
I first heard about Julia’s House when I attended an Open Day at the Corfe Mullen hospice and saw the tremendous facilities available to the staff and nurses to care for children and their families. Seeing the care and support provided there made a real impression on me.
Having retired, I wanted to get involved in a number of volunteering opportunities, and Julia’s House is by far the most rewarding of the roles I undertake.
Over the years I’ve helped in lots of different ways, including marshalling at sponsored 50k and 100k bike rides, supporting craft and play mornings with children, siblings and their parents or carers, helping to run Julia’s House stalls at local events, taking part in sponsored walks to raise funds, and helping with bucket collections.
What I enjoy most is the variety of ways of giving assistance and help where it is needed and appreciated. There are always opportunities to support the charity and every contribution feels worthwhile.
One of my favourite memories was in 2020, when I joined 29 other participants to walk a marathon along the Jurassic Coast to raise funds for Julia’s House. The camaraderie amongst the walkers and the Julia’s House organisers made it a truly memorable experience.
To anyone thinking about volunteering for Julia’s House, I would say that whether you can commit to helping on a regular basis or only have a few hours on an ad hoc basis, Julia’s House really appreciates all their volunteers, as they are an integral part of the future of the charity.
