After 21 years working as an Assistant and then Deputy Manager for one of the leading bingo companies, I suddenly found myself redundant following the Covid pandemic.

I was at a loss what to do next and whilst applying for jobs I applied to become a volunteer with the willow wood shop in Ashton as I live near the hospice and have known people who have been patients as well as doing fund raising for them in the past.

I absolutely loved my first day volunteering from day one and so when the advert for a manager for Mossley and Relief Retail Manager came up I applied for either role but secretly wanted the relief role. I was over the moon when I was offered the job and so I started at the end of April 2021.

I have had the privilege of helping set up and open the brand new shop in Mossley, recruiting for the volunteers and managing the shop for a few months. I am now out and about in my role and have covered all the shops but Glossop at the moment as well as a few days in distribution and learning the e bay side.

I absolutely love my job, its a varied role from sorting donations, pricing, steaming, merchandising and of course looking after our lovely customers. I enjoy looking after the shops in the managers absence as well as working alongside the managers. I am honoured to have met and worked alongside so many of the volunteers and everyone has made me so welcome and I am now looking forward to volunteering at some of the up coming events at the Hospice.