Volunteers like Jill bring extraordinary knowledge, care and enthusiasm to our shops, Donation Centre and events – skills that help raise vital funds and give pre-loved items the chance to shine again.

Jill has a gift for spotting vintage gems and quirky collectables among the donations you generously give to us. Her eye for detail and love of bringing items back to life has made her stalls an unmissable feature of Open Gardens for nearly a decade.

Since joining the Hospice in 2015 as part of the eCommerce Team, she’s curated and restored hundreds of pieces, carefully choosing items she hopes will spark curiosity and delight. “I love working with vintage and collectable stock. Bringing donated items back to their very best condition and sending them off to new homes, whilst making lots of money to support the work of the Hospice. I’d happily take most of them home myself!”

One of Jill’s favourite finds came during her first Open Gardens season. While sorting donations, she noticed a dull metal tray in a box marked for recycling. “After a quick polish with a soft cloth a beaten design of a sail boat appeared.” She priced it at £3 but couldn’t shake the feeling it was something special. “I knew if someone else bought it I’d regret it, so I paid £3 and popped it in my bag.” After spotting the word Newlyn embossed in the corner, she donated it back to the eCommerce Team, where it was listed on the Hospice eBay shop. “We all excitedly watched the last minutes of the auction online; the virtual hammer came down at £124.50!”

Jill is already curating quirky and unusual pieces for 11 Open Gardens events in 2026. Check out stmichaelshospice.com/opengardens for full list of dates and locations where Jill will be selling pre-loved treasures.