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# “Volunteering with St Giles Hospice was like a breath of fresh air”
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/starting-to-volunteer-with-st-giles-hospice-was-like-a-breath-of-fresh-air/
- Published: 2020-06-02T09:26:00.000Z
- Updated: 2020-06-01T14:29:58.000Z
- Description: To mark National Volunteers’ Week, we are teaming up with St Giles Hospice to tell the stories of some of those who give up their time to help the charity.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Charity, News

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### To mark National Volunteers’ Week, we are teaming up with St Giles Hospice to tell the stories of some of those who give up their time to help the charity.

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Tony Glover said volunteering as a gardener at St Giles Hospice had been like a breath of fresh air for him after taking early retirement in 2007.

> “It was great having some time for myself at first, but then I started to feel as though I needed something else in my life to give me some purpose and to keep me busy.  
>  
> “I knew of St Giles as a lot of my friends and the people around me donate and fundraise for the hospice, so I thought that I’d go along to one of their volunteer open days. That was 13 years ago!  
>  
> “I couldn’t get over it when I started volunteering – it wasn’t anything like going to work.  
>  
> “No-one was looking over your shoulder checking whether you’d done stuff, there were no deadlines, no disapproving looks if you stopped and had a chat with someone. In fact chatting is encouraged.  
>  
> “It was just such a breath of fresh air, quite literally.  
>  
> “Being in the gardens is so peaceful and I get a wonderful sense of achievement from seeing the impact they have on patients, visitors and the staff here.  
>  
> “It’s so rewarding to hear people comment on how lovely the gardens are and how they brighten their day.”  
>  
> Tony Glover

As well as taking care of the gardens once a week at St Giles, Tony has also volunteered in other roles over the years, from marshalling at fundraising events to collecting St Giles donation tins with a little help from his wife.

> “We like doing this as the collection tins are often in a nice country pub, so it’s a good excuse to build in a lunch stop en-route!  
>  
> “I’d encourage more people to get involved. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly.  
>  
> “I wasn’t a very confident person before, but now I’ll have a chat with anybody. For that – and for the sense of purpose volunteering has given me – I give St Giles my heartfelt thanks.”  
>  
> Tony Glover

For more details on how to volunteer visit [the St Giles Hospice website](https://www.stgileshospice.com/how-you-can-help-us/volunteer-for-us/current-volunteer-roles/?ref=lichfieldlive.co.uk).