Why volunteering for St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield is 'like a warm hug'

Kemi volunteers at the St Luke’s City Road shop as part of the NHS Project Choice scheme.

Project Choice is a specialist post-16 college providing work experience as well as a supported internship programme helping young people aged 16 to 24 with disabilities, learning disabilities or autism gain work experience and improve employability and independence.

Kemi came to the project in 2019 and has been part of the St Luke’s team as part of a 12-week placement at the busy City Road shop at Manor Top, volunteering on the shop floor and on the till.

“The people are just so nice and the way they work with you, there’s something about it that makes you smile and made me glad that I decided to take on the internship programme,” she said.

“It gives you a feeling of warmth like a warm hug and everybody is literally the nicest people I have ever worked for – they are so helpful and supportive.”

Kemi added that, after struggling with her own health issues, she had found a renewed sense of maturity from volunteering for St Luke’s.

And she urged other people to follow her lead and take up one of the many volunteering opportunities at St Luke’s.

“The managers need more volunteers,” she said. “And it gives you a sense of authority, a sense of pride from volunteering here.”

St Luke’s in the winner of the Queen’s Award for Volunteering for its work with thousands of people.

To find out more visit www.stlukeshospice.org.uk/volunteer/about-volunteering