Peter’s wife Ann was determined to stay in her own home for her end-of-life care, but the couple were unsure how this would work and whether it would be possible. Thanks to our Willen at Home team, Ann had the death she wanted – passing away peacefully on New Year’s Eve with Peter by her side, after celebrating one last Christmas with her family.
Peter has since joined our Willen family as a volunteer at our Kiln Farm donation centre.
Peter's volunteering story
“After my wife died I wanted to try to give something back to Willen. As I live in Stony the obvious place to try was The Bookshop. They already had plenty of volunteers so I was directed to the book sorting section at Kiln Farm. I had no idea what this meant but I went along to find out and have been absolutely amazed by what I’ve found.
“Firstly, it opened my eyes to the scale and professionalism of the Willen enterprise. Book sorting has given me a window onto a whole new world and has introduced me to a new and very friendly group. I am fortunate to be able to walk to and from Kiln Farm. I have found that books are heavy so it’s a free workout, cheaper than gym membership! The wave of incoming books is never ending and who knows what exciting finds there might be in the next bag or box? The complexity of the process has been a total revelation to me: understanding about what sells on eBay, what the shops need and how every donation is converted into revenue for Willen.
“I am so pleased that I have got involved, it has provided me with so many benefits as I transition to a whole new life on my own.”
“I would definitely encourage people to get involved in any of the many opportunities with Willen. It’s fun, sociable, enlightening, rewarding, humbling, time consuming and has given me a new respect for books in all their guises.”
