Hospices supported by Ed Sheeran seek volunteers

Ed Sheeran, pictured at a charity gala event, has been a supporter of East Anglia's Children's Hospices for many years

A hospice charity that numbers Ed Sheeran among its ambassadors has started a recruitment campaign for volunteers.

East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) is running its "don't pass by, give volunteering a try" campaign across its 48 shops in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

It says there are a variety of roles available, from key holder to electrical tester.

The campaign will run for three weeks.

The Princess of Wales opened EACH's newest hospice in Norwich in 2019

EACH's three hospices in Ipswich, Norwich and Cambridge offer care for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

The charity has support from high-profile personalities and their Royal patron, Catherine, the Princess of Wales, opened their newest hospice in Norwich in 2019.

Ed Sheeran, who is an EACH ambassador, donated 445 items of clothing to be auctioned to raise funds, including his underwear, and the BBC TV show The Detectorists donated some props for auction.

Now, the charity is looking for donations of human time.

Maria Clark, who manages the EACH shop in Halesworth, said: "Having enough volunteers is one of our main challenges.

"They are probably the most important link in the chain because without them we literally couldn't open the doors."

She added that it was sometimes difficult to staff the store: "I have a fantastic team here but we always need more - all it takes is for somebody to be sick, or someone to be on holiday and, all of a sudden, you're trying to run the shop on your own and that's not a fun place to be."

Ms Clark said that volunteers did not necessarily have to commit to doing a shift every week

Some volunteers serve behind the counter while others sort donations, iron clothes or test electrical equipment.

Some donate their time to collect and deliver furniture or work in the charity's warehouse in Thetford, Norfolk.

Ms Clark is hoping the campaign brings enough new volunteers to make it easier to run the shop six days a week: "If I could get another ten volunteers, I think I would probably be then in a really comfortable place."

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