Anne-Marie applied for a volunteer role in Trinity Hospice's fundraising department through Do-it.org, which led to a full-time position.

I applied to work as a volunteer in Trinity Hospices fundraising department as I was considering a career change into fundraising.

I'd come from a sales background and believed my skills were transferable to the charity sector, however, every position I looked at required charity experience. I thought volunteering would be a good way to get that experience and also to find out if I enjoyed working for a charity. I heard about do-it.org through a friend, so searched for opportunities around my area and found a position at Trinity Hospice.

After meeting the other employees at the hospice I could see that it was a really exciting role in a fast-paced environment, which would help give me the skills to compete for paid positions. As the hospice receives a large number of applications to volunteer, they interview people as part of the application process, so I was pleased when I heard I got the job.

I worked two days a week and got involved in a range of fundraising activities, such as helping out at events, corporate fundraising, marketing, writing applications and, of course, the inevitable administration. I really enjoyed the range of responsibilities that I was given and felt like a valued employee.

My experiences over the five-month period made me keen to pursue a career in the charity sector. I'd started to look around for a job when I was offered a position at Trinity Hospice as a fundraising manager, specialising in fundraising in the business sector. This sort of role would've been inaccessible to me without the experience I picked up through volunteering.

The job market is incredibly tough at the moment and I think that volunteering is a great way to enhance your skills and find out what you want to do. The true value of volunteering - the difference made to people's lives - can never be fully captured in financial terms. But it all goes to show that hospices really couldn't function without the work of volunteers.

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