Making a Difference - A Volunteers Story

Volunteers are at the heart of Abby’s Heroes. Without them, we would not be able to deliver as much as we do to support children with cancer and their families. Through the work of our volunteers, we are able to reach more people, more often, and spread the word about our work.

We often get asked what an Abby’s Heroes volunteer does. The answer can be many different things, depending on the type of event or activity the volunteer takes part in. However, we thought it would be fun to ask one of our first-time volunteers to tell us about their experience, what they did and how they felt.

Here is Jade’s story about volunteering for Abby’s Heroes at one of our recent fundraising days at Paultons Park:

Jade’s Paultons Park Volunteering Experience

My name is Jade and I am a Trainee Solicitor for Womble Bond Dickinson in Southampton. I had the pleasure of volunteering with Abby’s Heroes at Paultons Park on what turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day.

When I arrived, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Although I had volunteered at community events before, including helping with my town’s bonfire committee and selling Avon products with my nan at local fairs, this felt a little different. Seeing the Abby’s Heroes stall packed with fantastic merchandise, including toy unicorns, dog bandanas and caps, brought back memories of those earlier experiences.

After being welcomed by David from Abby’s Heroes, I was given a purple Abby’s Heroes T-shirt and briefed on the plan for the morning. My main role was helping David as Abbycorn’s handler, making sure Abbycorn could interact with as many children and families as possible while maintaining a safe environment for everyone.

It was a responsibility I enjoyed, as it meant I could help create special moments for the children whilst supporting the charity throughout the morning. By the way, Abbycorn, for anyone who hasn’t met her, is Abby’s Heroes’ much-loved unicorn mascot.

The morning started quite slowly and, as with many fundraising events, I felt a little nervous. However, everything changed the moment Abbycorn appeared. Suddenly, we were surrounded by excited children and families eager to meet a real-life unicorn. It was wonderful to see the smiles on their faces, especially the younger children who were completely captivated by Abbycorn from the moment they entered the park.

The response was incredible. We received plenty of donations throughout the day, but for me, the highlight was interacting with the children and helping to create those magical moments. Seeing their excitement and disbelief at meeting a unicorn was something I’ll never forget.

I volunteered for around four hours and loved every minute. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish. David was incredibly friendly, and the conversations we had with families and visitors helped raise awareness of the amazing work Abby’s Heroes does.

In fact, it became clear that although collecting donations from park visitors helps ensure the charity can continue its vital work, spreading awareness of Abby’s Heroes was also incredibly important.

I would like to thank David and the entire Abby’s Heroes team for making me feel so welcome and for giving me the opportunity to get involved. I’m proud to have been part of the day and hope to volunteer again in the future.

Thank you so much for the experience! It was fantastic!

If Jade’s story has inspired you to volunteer for Abby’s Heroes, why not contact our Community Fundraiser, David, on david@abbys-heroes.org for more details about volunteering and to join our volunteers’ mailing list.