WHETHER you’re good with numbers, can give a mean head massage or know your aspidistras from your azaleas, chances are someone would love to use your skills - as a volunteer.

And Volunteers Week, which starts tomorrow, hopes to encourage people who have ever thought about volunteering to turn those thoughts into action.

Thousands of companies rely completely on volunteers. One who knows their value all too well is Julia’s House. The children’s hospice based in Broadstone has around 350 volunteers, compared with 125 staff members.

Their range of disciplines may surprise you. As well as fundraisers and office staff, there are gardeners for the hospice itself, sibling volunteers, complementary therapists, assistants for the eight shops in the area, and van drivers who pick up donations such as furniture to sell in the shops.

Co-ordinating them all is June Maidment who is constantly recruiting for new volunteers.

“It’s fun and rewarding work,” said June, “and we are looking for a wide range of skills.

“The beauty of it is that you can work several hours a week or just at one or two events a year.”

And the people are as diverse as the opportunities.

Younger volunteers start out at 15 or 16, while there are some green fingered folk in the Julia’s House garden who have long since celebrated their 80th birthday.

University graduates, too, are cottoning on to the fact that a stint with a charity looks pretty good on their CV. Nikki Judd, 22, graduated from her graphic design course in June and started working for Julia’s House in March as a volunteer in the PR department. She happened to be in the right place at the right time when a temporary contract came up for an events assistant.

She said: “I’m hoping the job will become permanent, but in the meantime I am enjoying working for a good cause and a charity which came top in The Sunday Times 100 Best Places to Work in the Public and Charity Sectors.”

Rita Noble is the manager of the Julia’s House shop in Blandford. “I just couldn’t do without my volunteers,” she said, “each shop needs a pool of 20 as there are two needed front of house, and up to three behind the scenes sorting goods on any given day.”

However, Rita’s standards are high, not just with the donated stock in the premises, but the staff, too.

“I could see a hundred people wanting to be a volunteer, but only one would be good enough,” she said.

Those who did make the grade include Naomi Murray (who also volunteers in Israel several times a year packing medical kits to help during natural disasters), Chris Rix, Pauline Saville and Jess Doyle.

With the help of people like these, the Julia’s House shops take around £2,000 for the charity per week.

But it isn’t just the Julia’s House children who benefit.

Their siblings, so often overlooked, are helped by people who give their time for nothing.

Maria Carroll is a sibling volunteer, organising outings for the brothers and sisters of children at the hospice.

“We take them for pizza, bowling, swimming, to the cinema and on days out to places such as Monkey World, the Swanage Railway or sailing” she said.

“Outside a care environment they can behave like children and we all really enjoy our time just having fun.

“It’s also rewarding being part of a hard working, passionate team.”

June Maidment added: “I would like to thank everyone who so generously gives their time to help Julia’s House.

“We worked out that even if they were paid a minimum wage, the total salary bill per year would be a quarter of a million pounds.

“Volunteers are the life blood of so many organisations, and it’s good to know they feel they are getting something back.”