Thanking our shop volunteers

got a brain tumor. So to me, this was the nearest thing to pay back. But this is why I come here. But I'm fine. I'm fine. I've got medication that keeps me going. Coming here keeps me

going. And my friend Jill, I think we was just talking one day and I says, "I'd like to volunteer on that." And I came. I think I started a couple of weeks before her and I said how good it was and she had lost her husband Arthur and it was friend of ours and we both got came and we we love it. I have friends that are on their own their husband's died or even the other way around. We've got gentlemen coming next week to say to come in for company cuz everybody needs company. Don't to be sit at home and having to watch telly where there's nothing on. Come out, meet people. I mean, if you're working out there like Richard is, there's people coming in all the time and they tell you all the illnesses and all the ailments and you're listening. Richard like he always says good morning to everybody.

That's all you need and you're here to greet them. Wouldn't change this for the world. Yeah, I wouldn't go any other way other place. No other place. This is the end place. I keep going on about it. But if anybody's lonely on their own, don't know what to do. Sit there with front of the telly. Come here. You don't have to do a lot of shifts. You do what you want to do. When you come in, they make you feel all right. You know, cuz when I came in, cuz when me and J had done no volunteering, I came on me own first. I thought I'm going to be duck out of water. I've worked all me life. And so then there was, do you want a cup of tea before you start? And I remember feeling uncomfortable here. To be honest, that's been a time I'm sure, but my memory is not that good.

Can I recommend anybody who's on the rar especially to come I come in get my coat off clock on fill the sheet in to make sure they there's a fire. Our manager comes with one of these big bags full to the top. There's usually two. Sometimes you think well I'm only here for 2 hours but they're there. We go the way through them. You think it might be boring. It's not. And because Jill's there we put the world's rights. You see anybody else coming in could do the same thing. You don't have to stand there and not talk. In fact, they encourage it. It's it is really therapeutic. When I come out of here at 12:00, I really feel, you know, it's lifted. I feel happy about things.

So, my husband doesn't talk a lot. Married 58 years, but don't mind his own company. So, it's does me to get out and like people that's lost a partner. It's good, isn't it, for them saying about it and that you need company. This thing in my head, it's probably silly, but I think if I help them, it's going to help me. And I think it does. If you've ever felt like volunteering for Headway like Glennice, here's what you can do. You can either head over to our website, headway.org.uk UK for more information or simply pop into your local Headway charity

Well, I first came upon the Headway shop just by chance. I went into one at a previous Headway shop to buy a book. One of the managers there asked me if I wanted to volunteer cuz I knew her husband, you see. And I says, "Yeah, but I'm still at work." So, I says, "But I finished next week. I retire." So, she signed me up and um I worked at the uh at another headway

shop. When I get here in the morning, my shift starts at 10:00. Um, I work behind the till serving customers and also customers sometimes like to talk to you and past the time of day with you when it's not too busy. You can do that. I do a stock rotation with the clothing that get put out for me on the rails and take off the ones that need to be taken off. Also with the media, the books, brick rack, and all the accessories. do some pricing as well to put out there and if I'm needed in the back room because we're short on volunteers then I just work in the back room and somebody can come and be on here you know but basically that's my day uh to working on the till it might be a bit difficult for

school levers possibly to get you know to gain the experience working in retail or work experience full stop but I think this is a good idea to do this for younger people. Well, and for older elderly people as well. It it it does help if you've got a little bit, but you gain the confidence the longer that you're here. It's a good organization to volunteer for. It's worthwhile like all charities are, but this seems to be to me very forward company that look ahead to the future to see what we can do to make things better for people have suffered brain injuries. And I think they're heading in the right direction,

hence the name Headway. I was still working whilst I was volunteering. I only did four days a week. And then on the Friday that I had spare, I came and worked at Headway for the full day. So when I retired, I um took it on for uh well, three times a week, you know, to fit in with my busy lifestyle. If you'd like to volunteer for Headway like Richard, here's what you can do. You can either head over to our website, headway.org.uk UK for more information or pop into your local Headway charity shop.