Treasure-seeker Joe celebrates transporting over 21,000 bags of stock 

Growing up, Joe has always loved pirates, anything nautical and collecting seashells, and now it seems he has a knack for collecting certificates too.

Joe has autism and volunteers at our Maidenhead shop in the sort room, taking in donation bags to the sort room, bringing down stock to the shopfloor after sorting and organising the recycling.

Shop manager, Paula, noticed how much he loved numbers and with his passion for pirates, set him a challenge, and that’s where ‘A Wealth of Treasures’ started on 11 December 2021.

Paula challenged Joe to see how many bags he could take up to the sort room during his shift, and he decided to keep a record. His first goal was 1,000 bags which he accomplished, and the whole team celebrated, including Area Manager, Louise Stevens, who made a certificate for him. But it didn’t stop there…

Through Joe’s determination the bags stocked up…2,000…3,000…5,000…

Joe said, “I jokingly told Paula I would love to reach 10,000 bags and I just could not believe I achieved this on 4 September 2023!”

To commemorate this amazing goal, Paula organised a wonderful surprise where his family joined in with the whole shop with gifts for Joe, and a 10,000-bag certificate from Louise. Joe’s dad even made the 3.5-hour journey to join in with the fun!

“My dad said it was well worth the trip from Devon to meet everyone and he was very proud of me. I’ve now collected a lot of certificates which I hang on my wall, and they make me very happy and unbelievably I have now taken up over 21,000 bags! We are waiting for my grandma to come back from New Zealand next month to plan another celebration with all the team, my dad said he can’t keep up with me!”

Since volunteering Joe says it has improved his confidence, giving him new opportunities that he wouldn’t normally do and has made a lot of new friends. “I am very lucky that the team really do encourage and support me, Louise always comes in to see me every 1,000 bags completed and kindly designs and presents me with a certificate - I always joke that I'm her favourite!”

The weekly autism group that he meets with have also written about his achievements in their monthly newsletter.

And the certificates don’t stop there. In 2024, Joe was awarded Area and Regional Volunteer of the Year at our annual volunteer award celebration. Joe was nominated for the award for always turning up at the shop with a smile and never being afraid of hard work – which you can certainly see!

Joe said “I couldn't believe it; I was so happy when Paula called me into the office and told me that out of the whole team the paid staff had chosen to nominate me for Volunteer of the Year, and I would get another certificate for my wall! I called my family straight away!

Then the following month Louise told me she had chosen me as the Area Volunteer of the Year, I cried happy tears I was so proud of myself.”

Joe attended the celebration event held at BHF Head Office in London, along with his dad, grandma, Paula and Louise. They toured the offices, discovered more about the lifesaving research we fund, met BHF colleagues and other volunteers across the nation, and celebrated one another’s achievements.

“We had a lovely day, I have such lovely memories, I'll never forget it and I was able to meet so many people, it was a great celebration, and I received a certificate and a heart award that was made by another volunteer!”

You could say with Joe’s sorting skills, we'd never have to walk the plank when it comes to stock! Thank you Joe, and everyone at Maidenhead for being so brilliant.