PDSA: How to give back this festive season

With the festive season in full swing, the time for gift giving is about to be upon us.

This December, leading vet charity PDSA is hoping people can give the gift of time and do their bit in helping the charity support those who need it most – by volunteering in one of it’s charity shops across the UK.

Jennie Pearson, Volunteering Business Partner at PDSA, said: “We’re heading into a widely celebrated time of year for generosity and giving, and we’d be forever grateful for some helping hands this holiday season. For anyone looking to give back to the community, we’d love to have you on board in our team of volunteers.

“Our volunteers are an amazing group of people who all contribute something very special to PDSA. By giving us the gift of their time, they are helping us to support pet owners in their time of need – who would otherwise struggle to cover the cost of unexpected veterinary bills should their pet fall ill or become injured. Their efforts mean we can help families stay together.”

Benefits of volunteering

“We offer a warm and supportive environment for all of our volunteers. The shops enable people to give something back to their local community, all whilst supporting a vital charity cause.  

“Our shops welcome people from all walks of life within local communities, whether they are coming to the shop for a browse or to donate an item. They are great social spots for both volunteers and visitors. 

“Volunteering can also help people improve their confidence while enabling them to develop and improve on their knowledge and skills.

“It can be a great way to get out of the house, especially for those who may feel isolated, and all for such a good cause.

“Our charity shops are vital to PDSA. They provide much needed funding for our 48 Pet Hospitals across the UK, so the teams can continue to help thousands of the nation’s most vulnerable pets. All of our volunteers provide an essential contribution to the charity, and every hour spared to help out goes a really long way.

“We are extremely grateful to all of the people who support PDSA because they believe in what we do. It’s the generous support from donating unwanted items, making a purchase, or volunteering in our charity shops, that goes back into helping keep people and pets together in their times of need through our Pet Hospitals.”

If you would like to make a positive difference to your own life and the lives of others by lending a hand, there are lots of volunteering roles available across PDSA’s over 100 charity shops up and down the country.

Whether you would like to help customers with their shopping, sort through donations, create eye-catching window displays or serve at the till. To find out more about volunteering, head to PDSA’s website: www.pdsa.org.uk/volunteering