This National Volunteers’ Week we are thanking our incredible volunteers after giving almost 80,000 hours to support local children with life-threatening conditions and their families.

We are supported by 594 volunteers, who donated 79,450 hours last year, helping raise more than £972,000 through its shops in 2025.

From supporting our care teams and fundraising events to running 13 charity shops and two pop-ups, volunteers play a vital role in everything we do.

One of those is Kath Medlicott, who volunteers her time each week at our Church Stretton shop.

“Volunteering with Hope House has given me my life back,” she says. “I really can’t tell you how much it means to me.”

In 2016 Kath’s life was turned upside down. The 65-year-old hospital nursing assistant had a seizure and collapsed out of the blue. In hospital she was kept in a coma and eventually found out she had encephalitis, which is an inflammation of the brain.

“It changed my life completely,” she said. “I couldn’t function independently and it took a long time for me to be able to do reasonably simple things.

“While I was recovering, I became quite isolated as I live quite rurally. I didn’t really see anyone.”

It was on a visit to nearby Church Stretton with her husband that Kath found out about volunteering with Hope House.

“I popped into the shop for a look around and bumped into an old friend Shelley who I had lost contact with a long time ago - she was volunteering at the shop,” said Kath.

“She really encouraged me to consider being a volunteer. That’s where my journey began, and I’ve never looked back.”

Kath has now been volunteering at the Church Stretton shop for the last two years.

“This has made a massive difference to my life and recovery. I’m making new friends, I have some of my old confidence back, and I feel good when I come in. It’s given me purpose and I feel myself again.”

Kath volunteers two days a week and generally likes to work sorting through pre-loved stock and stocking the shop floor.

“The team are so lovely and are patient with me,” she says. “One of the results of my condition is I have poor memory and can get overwhelmed in busy environments, but they’ve found a role for me that I can do and be helpful too.”

Our shop volunteers like Kath helped raise £972,300 in the sale of 851,499 pre-loved items, alongside sorting through a massive 408,259 donation bags and serving 459,155 customers and supporters.

Meanwhile in fundraising volunteers donated more than 1,284 hours of time, while 68 businesses supported through various volunteering projects with their staff.

Michelle Doody, our volunteer manager, said: “National Volunteer Week shines a light on the extraordinary people who help make what we do possible.

“Volunteers have been part of our story from the very beginning, and that legacy lives on in every person who gives their time to support us today. The impact of their generosity, dedication and compassion reaches far beyond what they may ever see, touching the lives of children and families in the most meaningful ways.

“Quite simply we could not do what we do without them, and their kindness leaves a lasting impact on every child and family we are privileged to support.”

If you would like to find out more about how you could volunteer and be part of our family, please visit click the link below.

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