Alfredo & Eileen’s Volunteering Story

Together with other supporters of the group, they organised a number of events to raise support and funds for St. Michael’s, including pony and trap races in partnership with local supportive farmers.

“We just loved the ethos of the Hospice. We were first made aware of it when it was being built – it was a highlight of Basingstoke at the time,” said Eileen.

Over the years, their activities changed as Norma moved outside the area but their passion for supporting the Hospice never wavered. Alfredo and Eileen partnered with a gentleman in Overton who also volunteered and sold plants to raise funds for the Hospice. When he announced that he would be moving away from the area, Alfredo and Eileen decided to continue the tradition in support of the Hospice.

“The plants do so well because of Alfredo! He is so good with plants – he still has plants from 24 years ago from the gentleman that started it all!” Eileen laughed.

“My mother always used to grow plants and taught me how to care for them, even from just small cuttings,” said Alfredo. “I think people have heard how green fingered I am as I often get given plants that need some love and tender care. We are really lucky to have people come back year after year. I’ve had people say that they’ve got my garden in their garden now!”

Caring and growing all the plants from their home, Alfredo and Eileen sell them at St. Michael’s events, at local church events and catholic schools fair across Basingstoke.

They have sold plants from their home throughout the year since 2020 and in their first year the couple raised £5.600 for the Hospice from their plant sales, with help from friends. Since 2003 they have been holding raffles 3 times a year at their local church raising an annual average of £750.

Alfredo and Eileen continued taking on extra responsibilities over the years, including door to door collections since 1996 (stopping in 2020 due to COVID), collection pots from local shops and businesses, penny box collections and taking part in regular collections at supermarkets and shopping centres to raise funds for the Hospice.

When asked, what has kept the couple so motivated to fundraising and volunteering for the Hospice over the past 30 years, Alfredo said, “We only hear good things about the Hospice. When we hear the stories about how the Hospice helps patients and their families, that is what keeps us wanting to do more.”

Along with plant sales, Alfredo and Eileen also sell the Hospice Christmas cards every year at the Hospice events and at Church sales, as well as managing the tables for our events for supporters to take part in games and lucky dips.

After almost 30 years of volunteering for the Hospice, Alfredo and Eileen are staple members of the volunteering team and play a key part in sharing awareness and understand about the Hospice to the local community.

“We get a tremendous amount of support from other volunteers and members of the community because they know it is all in support of the Hospice. They just want to help and the satisfaction that we all get to be a part of keeping it going is all we need. We also get to be part of a team of amazing people. We always feel appreciated when we come to drop off collections to the Fundraising team and have made many friends with other volunteers over the years.” Alfredo said.

Since volunteering for the Hospice in 1996, Alfredo and Eileen have helped raise well over £43,300 from their plant sales, collection pots, House2house, penny boxes, collections and events. Words cannot express the Hospice’s gratitude to them both for their dedication to the future of vital hospice care across North Hampshire.

When asked if there was anything else they would like to share, Alfredo and Eileen said:

“Every member that works for the Hospice – they bring something very special. You feel more generous to give because of how appreciative everyone is at St. Michael’s. We are very proud to be part of your volunteer group, we always feel valued and our efforts appreciated. We feel privileged, yet very humbled to be seen as ambassadors for St. Michael’s Hospice for all our fund-raising activities!”