Pauline’s story

For the past two years, Pauline has been a dedicated volunteer at the Maidenhead Homestore — and in that time, she’s become a much-loved and essential part of the team. Whether she’s behind the scenes helping with pricing or greeting customers from the tills, Pauline’s warmth and enthusiasm shine through in everything she does.

“I do a bit of everything,” Pauline says, “but I mainly work on the tills, which I enjoy because I get to talk to people all day.”

After retiring from a job where teamwork played a big role, Pauline found herself missing the connection and shared purpose that comes from working alongside others. Volunteering filled that gap. “I really missed working with others and being part of something,” she explains. “Now I’ve found that again — we’ve got a great team here.”

Her decision to volunteer with Thames Hospice was rooted in a desire to support a local charity doing meaningful work. “It was important to me to give my time to a cause that’s local and really matters,” she says. “End-of-life care is something that touches everyone. To know that I’m helping support that, even in a small way, means a lot.”