A team of 11 volunteers from our Stornoway depot spent a day working at the Bethesda Nursing Home & Hospice charity shop, supporting the essential services it provides to the Isle of Lewis community.
The initiative was part of our Community Action Programme (CAP), which offers each employee one day off every year to volunteer for a cause close to their heart.
The Bethesda Nursing Home & Hospice, a cherished institution founded by HRH The Princess Royal in 1992, provides respite care and critical care and support to patients with incurable diseases. It relies heavily on community contributions and funds raised through its charity shop on Bayhead Street, Stornoway.
The volunteers work in a variety of operational and office roles. They carried out maintenance tasks at the shop, including painting, pressure washing and general repairs, as well as recycling, strimming and clearing space for hospice staff.
Alisdair Macleod from our Stornoway team said:
“It was excellent to help out with Bethesda, given how impactful their care is in the community. I, and many others in the area, have had family members cared for in Bethesda, and knowing the care is second to none is a great comfort. Being able to support through SGN’s CAP initiative allowed us to offer meaningful help to the shop that supports this invaluable hospice.
“We had real team spirit, with everyone pushing on to complete our list of jobs. The staff were extremely appreciative of our help, and I think the whole team felt a sense of real achievement at the end of the day.”
Bethesda Hospice Shop Manager Catherine Gomez said:
“We were absolutely delighted to have this fantastic group of volunteers from SGN at the Bethesda Hospice shop. The work they carried out was truly amazing. They cleared the back area of the shop by strimming, power jetted all the concrete and their electrician helped with a lot of the electrics. They also took care of lots of recycling and delivery runs for us and the dedicated painting team managed to make the tea room and toilets look new again.
“We are so very proud of the support that all the staff from our local branch have given to us and also equally grateful to organisations like SGN who enable charities like ours to get an extra helping hand.”
