Peggy celebrates 20 years volunteering in our shops

Peggy Lockwood has been a retail volunteer at Saint Francis Hospice for 20 years. At a special celebration evening for our volunteers, Peggy was presented with a Long Service Award for her dedication and commitment over the past two decades.

I started off volunteering at the Saint Francis Hospice shop in North Street, Romford. My mum had passed away and I had time on my hands. I had always liked working in shops and really enjoyed the contact with the public.

For the first year, I mainly helped by sorting out donations. Later I was trained on the till and I have loved it ever since. I am a bit of a chatterbox and I have got to know a lot of customers and some of them are now friends.

I also love to knit and over the years I have made lots of baby cardigans and coats and blankets which we’ve sold in the shop.

Peggy with some of the cardigans she knitted for the store

When the shop closed after 15 years, I continued volunteering at the charity’s shop in South Street, Romford.

Volunteering is a buzz

I still get a buzz when we have a good sale and if I hear that we have had a good day for donations.

We get really good feedback from customers who have had loved ones cared for by the hospice. I’ve always been a good listener and customers often open up to us. It is sad when they come in with donations after a partner or  relative has died but they are always so grateful to the hospice for the wonderful care they received.

I lost my daughter Jayne to breast cancer in 2020 and she passed away at a hospice so I can understand what they may be going through.

Volunteering is still a big part of my life, 20 years on

I am very proud to have been volunteering for 20 years. I used to do two full days but now I do two four hour shifts and I look forward to it - every day would be the same if I didn’t volunteer.

Being part of such a great team means a lot too.  The hospice hosted an evening to say thank you to volunteers and I was presented with my Long Service Award. It was so lovely for us all to get together for the first time as weren’t able to do so during the pandemic.