Meet Home Volunteer – Hilary

Hilary joined Helen & Douglas House as a volunteer helping at the hospice and a family’s home in Oxford for eight years.

Hilary’s volunteering role is very varied. She helps a family the hospice cares for at their home as a Home volunteer, helping with housework, playing with the child’s sibling and provides help and support for family trips out. She also helps the care team at the hospice, entertaining siblings of terminally ill children staying at the hospice whilst their parents have a well-deserved break. She also helps with things like packing the spring packs we sent to 150 local families this April.

Hilary had been teaching since 1973 and her last job was at a local school for children with special needs. She knew children from this school who were visiting Helen & Douglas House and knew how much they enjoyed it. When she retired, Hilary wanted to keep up her links with the hospice, be part of the team and continue to work with the local families with terminally ill children.

Hilary said ‘I have learnt a lot from everyone I have met at Helen & Douglas House and especially the family that I visit as a home volunteer. I have also appreciated the training sessions offered by the hospice.

‘I like the mealtimes at Helen & Douglas House when staff, families and volunteers all sit together and talk to each other. Volunteering has deepened my perception and understanding of the charity through sharing time with families, staff and volunteers and appreciated the exceptional value placed on treating and caring for every person as an individual. Helen & Douglas House is an exceptionally caring organisation.

‘I would recommend Helen & Douglas House as a charity to volunteer for and that you will gain from being part of the team that they can trust and to know that it provides positive help for local families with terminally ill children.