Mike's volunteering
"I retired after 40 years of working as a postman and wanted to do something useful with my time. It also keeps me out of mischief!
I have a strong connection to the hospital as I have been living with cancer for 15 years. I was diagnosed with skin cancer to start with, which was dealt with at The Royal Marsden. A couple of years later I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I have been living with this for about 10 years now. By volunteering I could be involved with the hospital in more ways than one."
"The events I volunteer at mainly take place in the local area. You get to chat with lots of people, many of whom have been treated by The Royal Marsden over the years or know someone who has. We are all looking after each other. That’s what I enjoy most.
My wife died four years ago, and volunteering has been a great way to meet new people. There are volunteers of all ages.
I would say to anyone thinking of volunteering to do it. Come and join us! The whole team are really friendly, and we have a laugh. Whatever it is you want to do, from helping at events, to making cups of tea and talking with people. The more people that can help, the better.
I have really missed volunteering over the past few months. It’s been lovely weather recently and I know we would have been out there raising money, but we can’t for the moment. When things are back to normal, I will be there, wherever and whenever I am wanted."
Whether that’s supporting the team in the fundraising office, volunteering at events or helping to spread the word about The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity in the community, volunteers help ensure we can continue to make a difference to the lives of cancer patients at The Royal Marsden and around the world.
If you're interested in volunteering you can check out our current vacancies or get in touch with our team on volunteering@rmh.nhs.uk