Jan's story
Celebrating a silver year at St Leonard’s
In 2025, we’re celebrating Jan Baines’ 25 years of service at St Leonard’s Hospice.
“I joined St Leonard’s as the Tang Hall shop’s Assistant Manager back in 2000”, Jan says. “I was there for two years before being approached to manage a new shop opening on Scarcroft Road. It was a wonderful opportunity to be part of a brand-new project and develop my career, but I knew I would miss my volunteers in the shop. I was so pleased when I found out that one of them could move with me.”
Jan first met Carol, her then-Assistant Manager, before the new shop opened in 2003. “We’ve been working together ever since”, she says. “We make a great team, and if you can believe it, we’ve never even had an argument!
“I’ve loved working in this shop for the past 22 years. I feel like so much has changed, but at the same time, it’s always felt so familiar. We’re part of a community here; we see children grow up, visiting the shop as toddlers with their parents or grandparents and then returning many years later in their school uniforms.
“We also have our regular customers who come in to support the Hospice and have a chat at the same time. I could be the only person that someone speaks to that day, so I’ll always make the effort. We all look out for each other and it’s lovely.”
Our volunteers play a vital role in helping us continue to provide our care for the future. Speaking about her volunteers in the shop, Jan says: “They’re brilliant, and they each bring something unique to the team. Some like to use the till, with others preferring to sort donations or arrange displays on the shop floor. I always say that each person is like a piece of a jigsaw, and we need the many different pieces to make the whole picture.”
Jan’s reason for staying with St Leonard’s over the years is personal. “I lost my mum to cancer when I was very young, so I’m really passionate about the work that the Hospice does.
“I could’ve retired three years ago but I haven’t yet. In recent years, Carol and I have swapped roles, but I enjoy working at the shop so much. I hope to continue doing it for as long as I can.”
