Frome volunteer is Best in the West!

VOLUNTEER Sandra Love goes above and beyond in her volunteer work in a Frome charity shop – and that’s official! She has been named the top Barnado’s volunteer across the South West and the Midlands.

And Sandra, who is key to the success of the Barnado’s shop near Frome College, was not just surprised to get her award, she also insisted that giving to others was her reward.

She said, “I love it here, you have fun and you help people;  what could be better than that?  I had no idea about any award.”

For the past five years Sandra has been delivering heaps of enthusiasm at Barnado’s, and visitors to the shop often travel miles to see her. Colleagues were not able to give her the special honour for 2020, until now, due to the Covid-19 lockdowns.

But on Tuesday 25th May, they were all smiles as they thanked Sandra for all her hard work and handed a genuinely surprised volunteer a lovely bunch of flowers.

Sandra, who is Frome born and bred, started volunteering after she retired, having worked for 17 years at Dairy Crest, and for Frome fuse-maker Beswick’s Fuses before that.

She also helps the local Lions, fundraises for Macmillan Cancer Support and also takes part in the Standerwick car boot sale every Sunday, just to make more money for Barnado’s.

She said, ” I left my other job at 70 because I thought that’s enough, and then when I got home, I thought well I can’t sit at home all day. So I work here two mornings a week.

“I love it here, just love it. I have got good friends here working with me and it just could not be better.”

Manager Hannah Smith who nominated Sandra said, “She goes above and beyond for us. She does events, she does car boot sales every weekend to raise extra money, if I need something, she is always there, ready to help. We had to keep it secret from her until now. We are so pleased to have Sandra, we need some more Sandras in fact.”

The shop, at 90A Forest Road Parade on Stonebridge Drive has volunteer slots available, Monday and Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings.

Sandra said that she has no intention of hanging up her volunteering plaque.  “Me and Sal (her friend) will be here forever, we are double trouble. It is so rewarding to be here, we have a laugh, so it’s good fun, but you are also helping other people. It is all about charity. What could be better than that?”