Cathy and Mary Gillard
The sisters - 11 years of volunteering
I've always wanted to do Crisis at Christmas. I probably thought about it for 5 years before actually doing it, you know how it is. I said I was going to sign up and Mary said "Well if you're gonna do it, I'm gonna do it!"
We both live in London and come from a large family, and in some ways it was easier to just say "We're not doing Christmas this year". Our mum is very understanding; she says that we're more useful at Crisis and can see her any day of the year but Christmas is the only time we can help at the Crisis centres.
Christmas day would usually start with waking up in Mary's flat. We'll have some weird Christmas breakfast, and then go into work. Once we get in the centre, we'll go our separate ways, I'll have no idea what Mary is doing. We might be working 12 hours and only see each other across a room.
We've spent the last 11 years at Crisis on Christmas Day. It's nice to have someone to share it with because it can be such an emotional experience.