JULIA’S House is holding a party to say ‘thank you’ to the legions of volunteers from across Dorset who support the children’s hospice charity.

In the run up to Volunteers Week 2012, which runs from June 1-7, volunteer co-ordinator June Maidment paid tribute to those who help.

“We simply could not manage without them,” she said.

“Volunteer support is absolutely vital to a charity and it can be so many things: helping out in the shops, secretarial work, gardening, fundraising, giving talks – even going on a camping trip with some of the Julia’s House siblings.”

June is organising a special vintage tea party at the Corfe Mullen hospice on June 13 when staff will serve up a cream tea for their volunteer colleagues, whose ages range from school leavers to pensioners.

“I think more young people could benefit from it. It’s a lot more then just shaking a bucket,” said Sara Murphy, 24, who volunteered after finishing university.

Bruno Smith, 47, said: “Initially, volunteering was simply a way of trying to do something worthwhile with my spare time while I was looking for a job, but what I got out of it exceeded my wildest expectations.”

Find volunteering opportunities at juliashouse.org or call 01202 607400.