A Children's Hospice South West volunteer at Charlton Farm loves his job so much, he even does it when he holidays in Cornwall.
Dave Senior, 81, is a key member of the hospice’s volunteering team in Bristol.
Not only does he work at Charlton Farm once a week, but he also finds time to volunteer at the sister site, Little Harbour Hospice in St Austell.
Mr Senior's introduction to the work of Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) came about following a chance encounter at a Bristol Hippodrome event.
Recalling how late CHSW co-founder, Jill Farwell, spoke about the charity’s work, Mr Senior was inspired to lend his services as a volunteer.
On his retirement day in March 2008, CHSW welcomed him onboard.
Speaking of his duties, Mr Senior said" every day is different" as he busies himself from sweeping up leaves, mending fences to checking the hospice’s vehicles to ensure they are roadworthy.
However, it’s the interaction opportunities the work provides that Mr Senior finds rewarding.
He explained: "The best job is doing the water checks - the reason being I meet a lot of the staff and going to the hospice is where I get my ’fix’ and that’s what makes it so rewarding".
Originally from Launceston, Mr Senior moved to Bristol at 18.
With fond holiday memories spent at St Austell as a child, he sought to keep his volunteering duties going while visiting family in Cornwall.
He divides his five day stays between seeing family and working at Little Harbour Hospice for three and a half days.
He said: "I do many similar jobs to what I do at Charlton Farm.
"I like to keep busy and I love my work at the hospice.
"To be able to do it in a place just minutes away from where I enjoyed so many holidays as a child is just marvellous."
Mr Senior's volunteering spirit seems to run in the family as his grandson completed a 5k run for CHSW.
An obvious favourite at the hospice, Mr Senior humorously measures his job's success varies on the slice of cake he is offered, stating, "If I get a big slice of cake I have obviously worked hard and earned it".
Charlton Farm site manager, Lawrence Gingell praised Mr Senior for his contributions: "Dave’s enthusiasm is infectious and he’s an important part of our team.
"It’s been a pleasure working with Dave and his contribution helps with tasks around the site, making them much easier to do."
CHSW extended their gratitude to volunteers like Mr Senior for their help and welcomed donations via their official site.
To find out more about fundraising for CHSW please visit www.chsw.org.uk/getinvolved
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