This Volunteers Week, Richard shares what he gets up to as a volunteer at Demelza and the many benefits.

"Volunteering brings countless benefits – both for yourself and the charity you give your time to.

I’ve been retired for just over 10 years, and have been volunteering in the charity sector since day one, with the last 3 years or so at our Demelza Eltham shop and the E-Commerce team at Maidstone. I’m tasked with identifying donated items that have the potential to make money by selling them on our online marketplace (such as eBay). To say I love it is a massive understatement!

People volunteer for many different reasons – for me it’s two things - working as part of a team and the big “kick” in finding and selling a donated “treasure”. The former is, I strongly believe, of immense benefit to your personal wellbeing. Not only are you sharing knowledge and experience, but you’re picking up new skills (both technical and inter-personal) and making long term friendships to boot – whether you’re 18 or 68. Then there is that “kick” of a successful sale - knowing that it’s brought much needed funds to Demelza and sharing that news with your colleagues who found the “treasure”. Working as I do, in both the shop environment and the depot, you get the added benefit of building a wider perspective and appreciation of the varying challenges that a charity such as Demelza has to face. In short, volunteering has really opened my eyes to a world that was effectively unknown to me in my old 9-5 job.

In closing, and if truth be sold, I have to admit there is a third aspect as well – that being, biscuits, chocolates and caffeine, but maybe we will just leave that there!"

Richard, Demelza Volunteer

Volunteer with Demelza