Ex-Army reservist plays vital role in helping Hartlepool's hospice

A retail manager for Alice House Hospice’s charity shops is sharing his story in the hope that it will encourage others to get involved.

It comes during national Volunteers’ Week, which runs until Thursday, June 7, to highlight the positive impact they have.

Albert Spence began volunteering in the hospice’s Wynyard Road shop in Hartlepool in 2012 and by 2013 he had taken a full-time paid position and is now a shop manager.

Albert’s other duties have included stock pricing, PAT testing, driving, delivering training and shop maintenance.

Prior to working for the hospice, Albert enjoyed a long and successful career with the Territorial Army/Reserves, where he received the British Empire Medal, serving 39 years in both the UK and Europe.

He attributes his success within the charity’s retail sector to the many skills and disciplines he learned in the TA/Reserves Army.

Albert is hoping that his story will encourage others with different backgrounds and abilities to come forward and support Alice House.

He said: “I’m one of many here who started a new career as a volunteer and progressed to a full-time role.

“It’s such a diverse organisation and we have people here with all kinds of different experiences, which really helps us to come up with new ideas. I started volunteering not really knowing what to expect and now I have a job that is really varied; I get to meet lots of great people and most importantly, I go home knowing that my day’s work has helped to provide care for our patients.”

If you would like to find out more about volunteering in the retail sector or any other area of the hospice, contact the Alice House reception on 01429 855555.