We know how lucky we are to have such an awesome army of volunteers who give up their time weekend after weekend, to get up early, get dusty and dirty, and end the day covered in hen poop. But they also finish the day with an incredible feel-good factor and the biggest smiles on their faces, knowing that they have made a real difference.
We think all our volunteers are simply wonderful and can never thank them enough! This month we’re shining the spotlight on a few of the members of Team Somerset.
Meet four members of Team Somerset!
What do a healthcare worker, a self-confessed hen-phobic, a former police officer, and an introverted do-er have in common? They’re all part of Team Somerset! And they, along with many other Somerset volunteers, work tirelessly to help save thousands of hens from slaughter every year.
Meet the health care worker: Hayley Spencer runs the team, alongside being a busy mother and hard-working frontline health worker. Her infectious smile and bubbly personality are the glue that holds the team together.
Meet the hen-phobe: Deborah is one of our stalwarts having been with the team from the start, and we know she won’t mind us sharing the fact that she was terrified of hens initially. However, she overcame this fear and learned to love hen handling. Now Hayley describes her as one of the strongest members of the team.
Meet the police officer: As an ex-police officer his calm manner and air of authority are a godsend when dealing with human and hen problems alike.
…And the quiet introvert do-er: Derek, the team lynchpin. He never says no to anything whether it be driving for hours to help other teams, holding hens overnight for people unable to collect that day, or the extra lucky hens that we just can’t leave behind at the farm, cleaning crates — the least glamourous but possibly most important job — and quietly getting on with things.
We don’t think Derek knows just how great he is even though he has been volunteer of the month recently and he truly deserves it.
You could say that being part of a BHWT volunteer team is like being part of a family, everyone gets stuck in and is there because they truly want to be – which is what makes it so great!
To see if there is a volunteer opportunity in a team near you go to: https://www.bhwt.org.uk/volunteer/
