During Volunteers' Week, we'll be awarding some of our volunteers with their long service awards, from 5 years to 20 years of service!
Chris and Margaret are coming up on 20 years as dedicated Demelza volunteers – but how did they get started, and what’s kept them around for so long? We spoke to Chris to find out:
How it all started for Chris and Margaret
Chris shares: “We were walking past our local Demelza charity shop in 2002, and noticed it was closed; the sign said ‘due to lack of volunteers’. We just wanted to help that particular store get back to its feet, and before we knew it we’d done 20 years! We’re hoping to do a good few more years as well – no plans to stop yet.”
Highlights from 20-years of service
Chris continues: “I love being on the tills, so that’s mostly where you’ll find me. Some people come in all the time and you get to know them, others come in just the once; either way you get to have a chat with some truly lovely people, and the time you’re in the shop just flies by. There are so many charity shops in Hythe as well, yet we always get the most generous donations in our Demelza store. It’s no wonder we’ve already done 20 years when the work is so enjoyable!”
