Volunteer news

We saw thousands of runners take to the streets on Sunday 26th October as part of our Run Leicester event, it was spectacular! A big thank you to those who volunteered on the day too. You all smashed it!  

Over £110,000 has been raised for LOROS from this event with over 5000 runners participating on the day - a record amount!

Throughout October, LOROS Ambassador, Amarjit, also known as Tony, challenged himself to swim 21 miles, the equivalent of crossing the English Channel, in support of LOROS. That's around 1,344 lengths of a standard 25 metre pool!  

When starting the challenge, Tony said: "It won't be easy at 77 years old - it will take time, commitment and a fair bit of stamina - but it's nothing compared to the daily challenges faced by those living with life-limiting illnesses and the families who support them." 

Tony completed the 21 miles and has raised £3000 for LOROS whilst completing this challenge.  

Thank you so much for the support.

Thank you to all the volunteers that made Halloween special at the Hospice, we found these two; our Matron, Michelle Clark, and volunteer, Pete Kerrigan, walking about the ward and making people smile. We even had scary green cupcakes and a fruity red blood punch for the patients!  

Diane Murphy was nominated for Anne, Duchess of Norfolk, Volunteer of the Year Award. 

LOROS have a volunteer workforce of over 1,200 volunteers, the team grows larger each year, yet we are also humbled by volunteers like Diane Murphy who has been associated with LOROS for 35 of the hospice’s 40-year history. 

Diane has seen the hospice grow from just a few beds to a National Centre for Palliative Care offering many services to those nearing the end of their lives. Diane has been a constant figure, volunteering and supporting the development of LOROS.

Diane continues to volunteer within the hospice as a reception volunteer, warmly and professionally welcoming patients and visitors into the hospice in emotionally difficult circumstances. Her kind approach puts visitors and patients at ease and sets the tone for their experience here. Diane also dedicates her time to supporting our hospice café, providing refreshments to visitors and patients. For Diane, it’s not always about the cup of tea- it’s knowing what that means to visitors who have just visited loved ones on the ward. 

Not only is her extreme dedication to her volunteering roles formidable, but also the support she has given to volunteering at endless LOROS fundraising events is outstanding. During her 35 years, Diane has helped raise thousands of pounds for the hospice. She has also organised annual fundraising events and numerous social events for some of the 1,200 LOROS volunteers, inspiring long-standing friendships, making LOROS the family that volunteers want to be a part of. 

Peter Kerrigan was also nominated by the ward for the Anne, Duchess of Norfolk Volunteer of the Year Award. 

The ward staff wanted to recognise Pete for the amount of work he puts in as a volunteer for LOROS. When asked what difference Pete makes to the ward an example of the comments received were ‘The place would fall apart without him’, ‘Nothing is too much trouble’, ‘Patients love him’. Most mornings at around 7am you can find him on the ward. Alongside practical help to patients, such as helping with feeding, he is also a welcome companion to patients and their families. Pete also puts a lot of effort into celebrating a wide variety of events on the ward and is often putting up decorations or donning fancy dress in a bid to bring some fun to the unit. In addition, Pete supports several bereavement hubs over the course of the week. As if this was not enough, Pete has also raised considerable funds for LOROS and received a League of Mercy Award in 2019 in recognition of this. 

Every volunteer is worthy of nomination for this Award for the very fact they give up their precious time to help others, but in the case of Diane and Pete, it is the length of time and deep commitment to so many facets of LOROS Hospice that singled them to be nominated  for the Award. 

With Christmas fast approaching we are having a desperate call out for volunteers already registered with LOROS to help with bag packing/bucket collections over the festive period. 

Festive bag packing events: 

Marks and Spencer, Fosse Park

29th November 10am – 1pm or 1pm – 4pm 

Bucket Collection events: 

Highcross Leicester will be hosting a Christmas pantomime and grotto every Saturday in December and would like for us to be there to take donations. They are not charging the families for their Santa visit so would like us to have some bucket collectors there. 

In addition to this we will have the Heart of England Chorus singing before the pantomime on the morning of Saturday 13th December and then the LOROS singers on the 20th. 

You can register to support this event by clicking the link below. 

We are also in desperate need for volunteers to collect our charity boxes from locations all over the county. These boxes are vital to our fundraising. We have had so many calls from shops and businesses who would like the boxes emptied so that they can continue to support us, please help up to collect and empty as many as possible! 

Here are the main locations we need your help in. If you live locally in one of these areas and can offer a couple of hours every month- please get in touch! 

• Ashby de la Zouch LE65 

• Coalville/Ibstock/Markfield LE67 

• Hinckley LE10 

• Lutterworth LE17 

• Market Harborough LE15 

• Desford/Market Bosworth CV13 

• Loughborough and surrounding villages LE12/LE11 

• Leicester city LE1 

• Oadby LE2 

• Wigston LE18 

• Melton Mowbray and surrounding villages LE14 

• Oakham and surrounding villages LE15 

• Blaby LE7 

Looking for something that captures the magic of Christmas? Imagine the sparkle of fairy lights, the hum of happy engines, and Santa’s sleigh bells ringing through the air — that’s the Archers Festive Tractor Run! It’s as Christmassy as snowflakes and hot chocolate, and you’re invited to be part of the fun! 

If you can spare a few hours for this feelgood fun event, LOROS would be so grateful. The Archers Festive Tractor Run is the brainchild of Ryan Archer, an inspiring man who is also a patient at LOROS, and living with incurable cancer. He says: “My wife Emma leaves me to my fundraising because she can see that it distracts me. I’m not sitting there thinking about my illness. I’m busy and my only constraint is that there isn’t enough hours in the day.” Has that motivated you to give up just two hours to support this fantastic cause?! We hope so! 

Here's the details: 

Archers Festive Tractor Run December 2025 – Bucket collection volunteers wanted for 2 hours! 

We are privileged and excited to be working with the Archers Festive Tractor run once again and are in need of bucket collectors along the route (collecting for 4 charities in total), helping to take donations whilst spectators line the streets to enjoy the Tractor Run. 

Dress for the weather as this is outdoors but enjoy the tractor run full of lights, music and festive joy through the streets of Warwickshire & South Leicestershire. 

You will be met at a pre-agreed location, provided with a high vis and a sealed bucket which is then handed in at the end of the parade. We ask you to move on foot safely through the crowds accepting donations from the public for the duration of the tractors passing by. 

Saturday 20th December – Hillmorton the Paddox area, Rugby – 4.30pm – 6.30pm 

Sunday 21st December – Lutterworth, 3.45pm – 5.30pm 

Sunday 21st December – Broughton Astley, 4.30pm – 6pm 

Sunday 21st December – Peatling Magna, 5.45pm – 7.15pm 

Sunday 21st December – Lutterworth, 7pm – 8.30pm 

Please do get in touch if you are able to help and contact fundraising@loros.co.uk 

We are also in desperate need for enthusiastic, positive and fun individuals to help us go out to schools and colleges to inspire a new generation of young people to understand more about hospice care and how they may be able to support us! The role will involve you going to schools, delivering short assemblies and speaking to small groups of children. You may even be paired up with our famous mascot, Lionel!  

Here are some locations and dates below. If you would like to give it a go, we will provide you with all the support and information you need! 

17th November: Stokes Wood Primary  (3.30pm- 6pm) 

19th November: Stokes Wood Primary  (3.30pm – 6pm) 

23rd November: Christmas Light switch on - LOROS stall (times TBC)

26th November: Rawlins Academy (8.15am start and set up stall to talk to young people about LOROS) 

13th December: Fullhurst Christmas Fair (times TBC)

21st January: Ellesmere College (times TBC)

2nd March: Stokes Wood Primary (3.30pm – 6pm) 

4th March: Stokes Wood Primary  (3.30pm – 6pm)

18th March: Melton Vale Sixth Form Careers Fair (times TBC)