Meet full-time photographer and EACH volunteer, Jo
EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. The services they provide include care at end of life, specialist symptom management support, day care, emotional and wellbeing support, occupational therapy and much more.
We caught up with Jo to find out more about it…
Why did you want to get involved with EACH?
EACH is an incredible charity and I love the work they do with young people. Children deserve so much and I have a daughter, now 13, so appreciate how vital their work is in giving children and their families a future and caring for families. My local EACH charity shop is just around the corner from me and I’ve been using it for years, either donating things or buying them. I got friendly with the staff and my mum also volunteers there. I decided to become a volunteer for them. We have about 20 volunteers in the shop and everyone is so lovely.
What is it you do when you volunteer?
I volunteer for the Lowestoft branch of EACH in the charity shop and am their ebay champion. I use my photography skills to take photos of items for ebay. The shop manager, Rowan, will decide which bits should be listed on ebay so I will take photos before they are listed and packaged up. There’s often a lot to take photos of!
What would you say to anyone who is considering volunteering?
Just do it! You get to meet so many people and get to give something back. I love to help people when I can and just doing something good, and seeing other people doing good, is really rewarding.
What can people donate to the shop?
We are always looking for used goods, such as toys, clothes, books, CDs, bric-a-brac, furniture and jewellery. All money raised makes such a difference and don’t forget to do gift aid too when you donate so the charity can claim extra money.
Well done Jo for making such a difference in the local community.
To put into context the difference just a small donation to a shop can make to the vital work EACH does, here are some examples of what it could pay for:
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- A top, skirt or pair of trousers worth £5 could pay for art supplies for a session of art therapy
- A tea set worth £11 could fund an hour of specialist play tailored to a child’s individual needs
- A nice wedding hat or jacket worth £19 could pay for an hour of vital physiotherapy
- An item of good-quality furniture or prom dress worth £24 could fund an hour with a psychologist to help guide and support families going through, likely, the toughest period of their lives
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For more information about EACH and to find out where your nearest shop is, go to www.each.org.uk