Volunteers’ Week is an annual UK-wide campaign to celebrate and recognise the contributions of volunteers.

Launched in 1984, providing organisations and communities a platform to thank current and past volunteers for their invaluable efforts.

There is no better volunteer to start with! Many of you know Doreen… For those who’ve stepped through the doors of the Cheshire Home charity shop over the years, the name Doreen Homer needs no introduction. A familiar, friendly face and a tireless volunteer, Doreen has become synonymous with kindness, commitment and community spirit.

Now in her eighties, Doreen has dedicated decades to the shop – travelling by bus for up to two hours each day to open up and keep things running. She’s done it all: sorting donations, pricing items, cleaning the premises, and warmly welcoming every customer who walked in. She offered not just service, but companionship – listening, laughing, and sometimes crying alongside those who needed a friendly ear.

It’s no surprise, then, that Doreen has been nominated several times for the Pride of Guernsey’s Customer Service of the Year Award.

‘Steadfast, loyal, kind, caring and generous – all of these describe Ms Homer,’ said regular customer Carol Priaulx. ‘With only a few hours of help one afternoon a week, she gives so much of herself. Her welcome and service to her customers is warm and sincere. This lovely lady is a treasure.’

Unfortunately, due to Doreen having an accident, the shop is now closed. As she recuperates in hospital, we took the time to catch up with her to reflect on her years of service and to find out what kept her volunteering for so many years.

We started by asking her when she first got involved with the Home…

Well, I was forty when I first got involved. I lived in the Rohais and I had time, so I used to help out with the cake making in the evenings. I did that for a long time. Then, when I lost my husband, I helped out at the Home for a while. After that, a friend said the Cheshire Home was starting a shop and asked if I’d like to help. And that’s when I got involved and I’ve been there ever since.

So that’s quite a long time then?

Yes, it is. We started off where the Petit Bistro is now. We then moved, Stephen Jones, a former Chairman of the Home was involved with the electricity board and got us a little room at the end of their building, and we were there for a while. We had a tiny shop. When they needed that back, I thought that was it we were finished. But then, through another friend, we were offered a different shop, and I’ve been there ever since.

What’s kept you volunteering for so long?

Just the way I am, really. I like to help people, and I like people. I’ve made lots of acquaintances over the years. People would come in, tell me their troubles, have a cup of tea and a biscuit. I just enjoyed the job.

When my second husband was ill, I cut down a little, but after he passed, I went back to normal hours. I used to do 8:30 to 3:00 every day – four buses a day, there and back, because I don’t drive.

Then Alan Russell, who I’d known for a long time, came to help with the books and CDs. A friend would bring me in the mornings, and Alan would take me home in the afternoons. I just ran the shop. We rarely had volunteers. The ones we did have were lovely, but you can’t always rely on people because they have their own families and commitments. I had the time, so I was happy to keep it going.

I also had people who helped me a lot, including Maggie and Rosie—and I’m really thankful for their help and support. They were there for me, and it made a big difference.

It sounds like you really loved meeting and helping people. Would you say volunteering gives back to you too?

Absolutely. It can be really powerful for you as an individual. At Christmas time, we used to make hampers – everyone would contribute, and the district and community nurses would take them to their patients. A couple of ladies in the shop who were on their own or struggling would get one too. The children all got selection boxes. None of it came out of the shop. Same at Easter – they all got an Easter egg.

What does the home mean to you?

It means a lot. I don’t really know many people up there now, but over the years I met several. I’ve always thought it was a very worthwhile cause. I used to say it was a bit of a Cinderella charity – sort of left behind compared to the others that had big boards and lots of committee support. But it mattered. Every penny from the shop went into the bank. I paid for the phone myself, bought snacks for the volunteers – paid for everything. I just enjoyed it.

Do you remember what year you started in the original shop?

Yes, 2005. I think it was 2005 when we opened it. I got married again in the meantime. My husband was head gardener at Les Cotils. When he got ill, I had to stagger the hours and eventually got a carer in so I could still come in. I used to go in all weathers- raining, chucking it down – I still opened the shop. It felt like a vocation, if that sounds right. They even offered me £50 a week in the beginning with a contract, but I didn’t want to take it. I didn’t want to take from a charity.

What would your message be to someone thinking about volunteering?

Choose your cause – something you really care about—and stick to it. Don’t go once and then give up. Volunteers are getting older now, and you don’t get many young ones. They’re all working. But just be friendly. Everyone who came into the shop, I’d greet them with a “Good morning” or “Good afternoon” and ask if I could help. I was always happy to just talk.

We even had a bit on the radio – “Ring and Buy.” I was on every Saturday, looking for something for someone or offering something from the shop. It worked really well and helped people get to know me. “Oh, you’re the lady from Ring and Buy,” they’d say.

And now?

Well, I broke my leg at Christmas and that put an end to it, I’m afraid. I do miss it. I really do. But I still love to talk, thankfully – that’s a skill I’ve still got! I’ve still got my marbles, at least. Though it feels like we’re all losing a few every day!

Thank you Doreen, you are one of a kind – and an inspiration to us all.