Two West Hill stalwarts, Pam Bean and Richard Ford, spent their last days being helped by staff at Martlets Hospice . . .

At Martlets, volunteers are vital. They offer counselling, spiritual support, legal and financial assistance as well as patient transport. They provide massage, acupuncture, manicures, pedicures, hair care, pampering and art therapy. All of which help local people live through their terminal illness.

They help run our shops, support our events and fundraise.  They arrange flowers,  work in  our community café, help organise our community choir, keep our gardens beautiful, sort clothes, books, bric-a-brac and, in the past 12 months, have made over 13,000 cups of tea in our hospice!

Our volunteers are essential to Martlets: without them we wouldn’t be able to care for nearly 1000 local people a year. On behalf of everyone at Martlets we want to say a big thank you to all our volunteers.

We need you!

Do you want to make a difference? Volunteer at Martlets and you’ll learn new skills, have fun, and make new friends – all while helping out your local charity.

It’s not just about our hospice in Hove – we currently need volunteers to help in our charity shops and furniture warehouse.

Interested? Let us know and we’ll get back to you with the latest volunteering opportunities.

Give us a ring: 01273 273 400

Send us an email: volunteering@martlets.org.uk

Or visit our website: www.martlets.org.uk  

Erica, (pictured left) who volunteers in London Road Shop says, “I love meeting and mixing with all the volunteers, staff and customers. I love looking at all the things that come into the shop and doing the window displays”.

Gill volunteers in our warehouse in Hove, sorting through donated clothes, says:

“The role is important as we’re responsible for making sure all the good quality items are sorted and sent out to our shops as quickly as possible. We’re also on the front line ensuring that unusual, vintage or valuable items are spotted and sent to our eBay team  where they can raise even more money for the hospice.

“I enjoy the fact that I am helping a wonderful organisation that supports people and their families at such a difficult time. Volunteering enables you to meet a different group of people and we support each other. We also have a laugh which is great for the soul.”

Martlets is much more than a hospice

Martlets is changing perceptions of hospice care. Today, most of our patients receive care in their own homes. Our hospice in Hove is a popular community hub – a place where patients and their families can use our therapeutic services, drop-in clinics, in-patient unit or just sit and have a coffee in our cafe.

I was a bit shocked when I found I had cancer, but I had some good times and everyone was so kind to me, especially my friends Gina, and Jan, and Claire and Terry, I can’t mention you all, there wouldn’t be time, but thanks to you all. No, I couldn’t recommend what I had, avoid it if you can Dear, but if you have to go, the Martlets is a wonderful place to ease your path. Wonderful.”

Excerpt from Chris Such’s moving tribute to his mother, Pam Bean, which was read by Liz Smith at Pam’s Service of Thanks Giving on 24 May 2010 as if Pam were talking to her friends.