Grahame Darnell

During the pandemic we saw countless examples of how charities supported people in their local communities. As someone who has worked with charities and social businesses for over 22 years, this inspired me to want to do more in my local community in the London Borough of Merton. I have lived in the Wimbledon Chase area since 2006 and have always been a champion of the lovely community we have but I wanted to actively give something back.

 

As a result, I made a pledge to myself to increase the amount of voluntary and pro-bono work I do with organisations in my local area. I was immediately interested when I saw that St Raphael’s, the local hospice for Merton and Sutton were looking for new trustees.

Anyone who has experienced bereavement knows how important local hospices are. From my perspective, St Raphael’s provides vital support to people when they are in a very emotionally vulnerable place. It is an important organisation for all of us across Merton and Sutton boroughs and it relies on voluntary income to provide the services it delivers.