Anyone can!
PDSA volunteers vary hugely in age, background and lifestyles but they have one thing in common – everyone is part of a valued and appreciated team.
To join this vital team all you have to do is volunteer; whatever time commitment you are able to give and whatever your skills and experience – with PDSA, you really can make a difference.
The minimum age to volunteer with PDSA is 14 – if you’re younger than this you can still get involved and help through our PetAid challenge.
Meet some of our volunteers:
Tom Richards
23-year-old Tom Richards volunteers at Eastbourne PDSA shop. Tom is responsible for sorting and pricing donations, displaying stock and serving customers; he is even more remarkable as he lives with Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism that causes difficulties interacting and communicating with people. However, through his volunteering, Tom has overcome many difficulties and is a valuable member of the volunteer team. He was awarded the 2006 PDSA Young Volunteer of the Year award.
Phyllis Seymour
74-year-old fundraiser Phyllis Seymour is Chairperson of the Croydon Guild fundraising group and has been a loyal supporter of PDSA for over 40 years.
Along with the help of other volunteers and members of staff at Croydon PDSA PetAid hospital, Phyllis organises two dog shows each year, as well as other fundraising events. She devotes over ten hours a week to PDSA.
Adrian Hobbs Burfitt
Adrian Hobbs Burfitt volunteers five days a week at the Bath PDSA shop. Despite his full-time shifts, he often devotes additional hours or days to cover sickness or staff holidays. As a key volunteer, Adrian received full training from PDSA and assists the shop manager in all aspects of the day-to-day running of the shop.
Kristian Little
Kristian Little, 32, has volunteered at PDSA’s Head Office since 1998. He does a variety of roles, including helping in the post room and the kitchen and enjoys the variety of tasks he gets to do while volunteering at PDSA.
Tracey Knowles
33-year-old Tracey Knowles loves volunteering two mornings a week at the Wolverhampton PDSA shop. She has two children, aged 12 and 7, and finds volunteering a great alternative to cooking and cleaning! She enjoys the flexibility of volunteering as she can still be there for her children, while she gains new skills, makes new friends and boosts her confidence.
Tara Keveh
50-year-old Tara Keveh moved to the UK from Greece and started volunteering in a PDSA shop to improve her English language skills. She loves creating eye-catching window displays and hopes that the new skills she is learning and the experience she is gaining will help her get a job working in the Retail sector.
Lever Furgusson
Lever Fergusson, who is 27, volunteers in a PDSA shop and carries out a wide variety of roles from customer service to displaying stock. He was awarded the 2005 PDSA Young Volunteer of the Year award for his devotion to helping raise funds for pets in need of vets.
