A friend of Tony’s who volunteers at the Hospice Shop in Whangaparaoa suggested it could be a great fit for him in retirement. The very next day, he visited his local store – the New Lynn Hospice Op Shop, then located on Great North Road – and completed his training the following week. An incredible 11 years later, he continues to be a valued team member, applying his retail expertise to keep the store looking fresh and engaging. “I’ve been on the till but I love merchandising, I’m happy doing that,” he says.
Tony brings a wealth of experience to the role, having enjoyed a stellar career in retail, including a position as Retail Manager at Smith and Caughey’s.
He describes the New Lynn store as “quirky” – and that’s part of what he loves about it. “That’s what’s so great about it, and it’s a great team, Louise is such a good manager,” he says. “I’ve got friends that come in and go, do you work at that Hospice shop in New Lynn with the crazy manager that sings? She’s the life of the store, she’s got the biggest heart and she’s always been there for me. You can go to her with any problems you’ve got or any suggestions. She’s really open about changing things around and that sort of thing. And she’s very supportive of us.”
Tony usually volunteers alongside Sally, another team member. Together, they assess the shop floor to see what can be changed to create visual impact and highlight certain items. “So say on a Thursday we’ll try to do all of the china and homewares stands, emptying everything off, dusting it and moving it around to give it a new look, maybe colour block things together,” he explains. “We’ve got customers coming in and going, oh it’s so neat – and they suddenly notice something because we’ve put it in a different position.” He often sees friends and familiar faces at the shop – even some former Smith and Caughey’s colleagues from back in the day.
Tony and his late wife Ethel were school sweethearts, together for an extraordinary 55 years. His appreciation for Hospice deepened when Ethel was diagnosed with cancer and began receiving their care. “When I first said to Ethel I was going to contact Hospice, she said no I don’t want them,” he says. “She didn’t want to talk to the nurse when she first visited, but she couldn’t wait for her to come back. They ended up forming this neat relationship.”
Ethel wanted to remain at home, and Hospice made that possible. “I’ve got to take my hat off to Hospice, they were incredible,” Tony says. “The thing that people don’t understand is how they are always there for you. It was one o’clock in the morning and Ethel was in pain, so I rang Hospice and they talked me through what to do and sent someone out, just incredible. We just couldn’t have coped without them, they made that journey easier for her. Losing her, it took me a whole year to really grasp it in. But I can talk about it now. We had a great life together.”
Tony and Ethel were always community-minded. “We ran fundraising fashion shows for schools like St Peter’s, Takapuna Grammar and Avondale College,” says Tony. “I worked for the police as a nominated person for young people being interviewed. I was chairman of the Grey Lynn Housing Trust running at-risk homes for kids. We also fostered kids. I think that it’s really important to be involved, and I look back and go, I don’t regret anything. And everything I’ve done is not to gain anything, it’s just out of the fact that I love doing it and helping people.”
Another of Tony’s passions is theatre. He is a Life Member of Auckland Music Theatre – the city’s longest-running community theatre company, run entirely by volunteers. He was Props Manager for 15 years; Ethel and their daughter worked in wardrobe, and his son performed on stage. Although he had to step down due to the physical demands of the role, Tony’s love for theatre remains, and he still attends every show.
Tony is also passionate about raising awareness of how Hospice services are funded. He’s frustrated by the common misconception that they are fully government-funded. “I get really annoyed when people go, oh the government pays for Hospice,” he says. “A lady came in and said to me, you must be making a fortune, Hospice – laughing all the way to the bank with all the money you guys make. And I said, we make it to care for people that are dying. She said, what do you mean – the government pays!” In fact, Hospice West Auckland receives only around 60% of its funding from the government and must raise around $4 million each year to continue offering services at no cost to the community. The network of Hospice Op Shops across West Auckland plays a vital role in bridging that funding gap.
“Sometimes people say to me, why do you volunteer at the Hospice Shop?” says Tony. “I say, because there’s so much pleasure in seeing other people get pleasure, coming in and finding bargains. And working with a team that click together – we have so much fun. It’s about giving something back, companionship, and helping people who really need it. I’m 80 in October and hopefully I’ll still be volunteering here when I’m 90!”
