A group of 4 Haven House volunteers at our Easter Egg Hunt trail event. They are wearing bunny ears

More than 25,000 hours. That's the extraordinary contribution made by Haven House volunteers over the last year, helping us provide care and support to hundreds of seriously ill children and their families across North East London and West Essex.

As we celebrate Volunteers' Week, we are proud to recognise the remarkable people who give their time, skills and compassion to support our work.

Over the past 12 months, 362 volunteers contributed an incredible 25,143 hours to Haven House. Using the London Living Wage, that equates to a value of more than £372,000 to our charity. While no financial figure can truly reflect the difference our volunteers make, the value of their contribution could fund seven nurses for a year. It is a powerful reminder of the vital role volunteers play in helping Haven House be there for children and families when they need us most.

Our amazing volunteers

Volunteers support every part of Haven House. From helping at family events and fundraising activities to supporting our charity shops, serving as Trustees and undertaking work experience placements, they make an invaluable contribution to the hospice. More than a third support our family events and Buddies programme, helping create special moments for children and families.

We are particularly proud to see so many young people choosing to volunteer with us. Our largest volunteer age group is 17 to 25-year-olds, and over the last year we welcomed 13 work experience students to Haven House.

To thank our volunteers for everything they do, we recently hosted a special celebration evening in the hospice grounds, bringing people together over food and refreshments to recognise the difference they make.

Justin Derbyshire, Chief Executive of Haven House Children's Hospice, said:

"Volunteers are at the heart of Haven House. Their generosity, dedication and compassion help us provide exceptional care and support to children and families when they need it most.

They are also some of our strongest ambassadors, helping raise awareness of Haven House in their communities and inspiring others to support our work. We simply could not achieve what we do without them."

This Volunteers' Week, we extend our heartfelt thanks to every member of our volunteer community. Your support helps us make everyday count.

Fun facts: The 25,143 hours donated by our volunteers last year is roughly equivalent to watching the entire broadcast history of Coronation Street more than four times over.

And all that volunteering may well have been fuelled by around 10,000 cups of tea and 20,000 biscuits along the way!

Are you interested in volunteering?

Find out more here…..