Service with a smile. Birkenhead and Wallasey Village charity shop volunteer David has served people his whole life

David with Birkenhead volunteers enjoying a Cream Tea

David Jackson has had a full life. He spent only a couple of years in Manchester, where he was born, to move with his dad’s job to Essex in around 1949.

He still classes himself as an Essex boy although he’s now more than an honorary Wirralian, giving his time on at least three mornings a week to our Wallasey Village and Birkenhead charity shops.

His dad had been a radar engineer during World War One and this was a factor in him signing up for the Royal Air Force soon after leaving school.

Trained at RAF Halton (not the borough where you’ll find Runcorn, but in Buckinghamshire) he was in the service for a total of twelve years during the Cold War and also took in postings to Northern Ireland amongst other places.

After the RAF David was still, literally, a high-flyer while flying all over the world representing electronic components business, Zaerix, meeting in countries as far and wide as the USA, Africa, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.

Once, he was nearly arrested for, allegedly, ‘insulting the Romanian government’ while chasing a payment for his firm that they’d taken more than an acceptable time to settle.

“I had a wonderful time in that job but, phew, that was a close shave.” David smiles.

After then, running his own business in the same field for another few years, David turned over a new chapter in his life by moving abroad, to Portugal, where over various periods between 1992 and 2019, he ran a car repair garage and later, a removals company helping people move between the UK and Portugal.

Between setting up businesses in Portugal he’d also lived in Wallasey for five years, choosing it because he’d spotted a quality retail rental space to set up an ex-catalogue goods store.

By 2015 David had decided he was ready for retirement in the sun and spent four more years in his beloved Portugal.

So, when moving back to the Wirral in 2019, settling in Birkenhead, COVID 19 intervened.

Once the emergency surrounding the pandemic was lifted, David resolved that he would find a way to give back, stay active, and contribute to his local community.

David with Birkenhead shop manager, Sue

So, in 2022, David began to volunteer for our Birkenhead charity shop where his ready smile, experience and customer service, help us to raise those vital funds for the specialist medical, nursing and family support services offered by the hospice.

In 2025 David also further volunteered when the hospice opened its 11^th charity shop in Wallasey Village.

David is clear about what keeps him coming back,

“I love the people I volunteer with, and I get on really well with both shop managers, Linda and Sue. They’re a real inspiration, always on the go.

I’m a people person, so helping customers and passing the time of day with them sometimes is a great way to spend time. It’s nice to know that what I’m doing is helping to make some difference.”          

David has faced his own challenges with health in recent years, having been diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer in the bowel and liver, despite which and while undergoing chemotherapy, David has continued to volunteer when he can for the shop.

We’re incredibly lucky to have David as part of our team. Dedication, resilience, and generosity are the cornerstone of his commitment, and he is keen to stress how much value and joy volunteering can bring, both to the community and to those who give their time.

Thank you so much, David, your volunteer service is greatly appreciated.