Kristina's story: "There has never been a dull moment in this role."

At St John’s, we rely on our brilliant team of volunteers to support our hospice and community activities. While many commit to a regular shift within our charity shop or at the hospice, we are also lucky enough to have a huge team of Events and Fundraising Volunteers. The wonderful individuals will often give up weekends and evenings to support our range of community events. From bucket collections to Easter Egg-Stravaganzas, selling raffle tickets to cheering on runners at the London Marathon. We recently had a chat with one of these volunteers, Kristina, to find out a little about her experience volunteering with St John’s over the years and what motivated her to apply.

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I started volunteering for St John’s Hospice back in 2020 when I moved to London. Having lived up North before that move, I was fortunate enough to have supported a local hospice which gave me a view of the incredibly important work that is being done for people during some of their hardest times. That experience encouraged me to find a hospice in London I could support in any way I could.

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Over the past few years, I have done a variety of volunteering such as Easter events, 5km walks, Christmas events, cheering for St John’s Hospice fundraisers at the London Marathon. There has never been a dull moment in this role. I have been the Easter Bunny and provided some elf support at Santa’s hut, and more!

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There are so many reasons I could list to explain why I enjoy volunteering for St John’s, and I still wouldn’t do it justice in terms of how great of an experience it is. The lovely staff at the hospice and all the regular volunteers, along with the incredible community of St. John’s Wood who kindly support the hospice create a very positive environment. I am a firm believer of the importance of having a supportive and caring community and it’s very energizing to be part of it through the hospice’s fundraising events.

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One of my favourite memories of volunteering was when, as part of the 5km walk, there was a lovely lady taking part, who although limited in her pace due to health reasons, went above and beyond to finish the walk. Her determination was very motivational and inspiring and was driven by her awareness of the great work of the Hospice did based on personal experiences - someone close to her had been supported by St. John’s. It warmed my heart and truly made me appreciate how important the hospice is for the community.

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Another favourite was during the Light up a Life service a couple of years back. Two young children presented a poem written about their dad who had been cared for by the hospice prior to passing away. I found their strength to go out and share their poem with the community so inspiring. I must admit, as I was at the door handing out programs, I had to step away to hide the tears on my face, from this emotional and raw moment that they had shared.

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To anyone considering joining the hospice as an events volunteer, I would say, do it. It’s such a heartwarming and enriching experience. The community and hospice staff are fantastic, and you’ll enjoy a fun day out, surrounded by great people. What’s not to love about that!

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Volunteering for our events and fundraising activities are a fun and exciting way to support the hospice, especially if you’re looking for more of an ad hoc role. We host regular community fundraising events throughout the year and volunteers are a huge help in facilitating these, and when it comes to our cheer squads at events, we always say the more the merrier! If you’d like to find out more about becoming an events volunteer, please email us at volunteers@hje.org.uk. or call us on 020 7806 4049.