Skip to main content

"I feel like I'm truly contributing to a charity I care about"

Chris Mullins, a volunteer in our Teddington shop, is one of the faces of our summer retail recruitment campaign. You can read his story below.

Chris began volunteering with us due to his congenital heart disease (a heart condition or defect that develops before a baby is born) making it difficult for him to work. Like many, Chris also experienced having a lot of time on his hands during the pandemic, and felt inspired to find new challenges, keep himself busy and fill any gaps on his CV by volunteering.

British Heart Foundation was Chris’s natural first choice to volunteer at, being the cause closest to his heart. With a retail background, volunteering in our Teddington shop was the perfect opportunity for Chris – he could gift his time in his area of expertise doing something he loved, whilst supporting a charity he holds dear.  

No day is the same for Chris, being kept busy with various roles across the shop, from preparing stock to serving customers at the till, and soon he’ll be trying something new – online selling and listing our goods on eBay.

Chris highly recommends volunteering at BHF and urges anyone considering it to give it a go.   

He shares, “It was an easy online application process and the team in the shop is happy to help anyone with their application. I knew straight away that I had made the right decision to sign up to volunteer at the shop. I was made to feel so welcome.”

He continues, “Volunteering gives me such a sense of purpose, something to get out of the house for. I meet some great people and feel like I’m truly contributing to a charity I care about.”

Volunteer with us

Been inspired by Chris's story? We offer lots of flexible volunteering opportunities, and we'd love you to join us.

Learn more about BHF volunteering

You might also be interested in

two teenage girls standing behind the till at a BHF shop and smiling as one of them speaks on the phone

Find volunteering opportunities

Explore our MyVolunteer portal to find the perfect volunteering opportunity near you.

Sign up to volunteer
an older female shop volunteer standing next to a young male volunteer both smiling as they sort clothes on a clothes rail

Volunteer at your local BHF shop

Volunteering at your local BHF shop is a great way to help your local community, meet new people, gain new skills or share your skills with others.

Apply for your shop role
To find out more, or to support British Heart Foundation’s work, please visit www.bhf.org.uk. You can speak to one of our cardiac nurses by calling our helpline on 0808 802 1234 (freephone), Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. For general customer service enquiries, please call 0300 330 3322, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

British Heart Foundation is a registered Charity No. 225971. Registered as a Company limited by guarantee in England & Wales No. 699547. Registered office at Greater London House, 180 Hampstead Road, London NW1 7AW. Registered as a Charity in Scotland No. SC039426