Charity shop volunteer.

Artytarty

Hi , my local Barnardos is looking for staff volunteers. I was thinking of giving it a go but I am very cautious about committing to something I might have second thoughts about.
Can anybody tell me the pluses and minuses as they have found them of doing this kind of thing?
I'll start,
plus:helping a good cause, makes me feel good too.
Minus:ties me down regarding other activities, might be very tiring?
Plus: interesting to meet new people,
minus: might have to handle/ launder nasty dirty clothes? #

Any others you can add?

Savvy_Sue

plus

• looks good on your cv / future work applications - even in a completely different field, this gives you a recent reference and shows you turn up when you say you will
• retail experience / admin experience (especially with the Gift Aid process!)

jim22

You've got nothing to lose with a bit of volunteering. Makes you feel good, good for cv, and you never know what it might lead onto. If it doesn't suit then nothing lost.

Artytarty

Sounds good so far! So, no pitfalls to look out for then?

jim22

Hello, artytarty (great name by the way) I've just been speaking to my Mrs on this one. She volunteers for Tenovus as well as paid work for costcutter. She does remark that customers can be just as shirty in the charity shop as they can be in full blown retail, as it were. But she also says that the positives outweigh the negatives massively and in her experience volunteering is well worth doing.

My own observation having gone in the back room when they are sorting the fresh stock is that junk goes in the skip. The stuff in the tenovus where she volunteers is in very good condition. I wear a lot myself. Another way that you might look at is that not only are you financially helping the charity but also recycling.

Savvy_Sue

Artytarty wrote: »

Sounds good so far! So, no pitfalls to look out for then?

Manky donations. But you'd already thought of that ...

As has already been mentioned, some customers can be a bit 'odd' or 'off'. But I guess most are as lovely as me!

Artytarty

Thats helpful, thanks.
I am just wary of committing to something I cant see through but nobody has said anything about excesive demands or unreasonable requests!
I think I'll fill in my application form and see if they'll have me. I need to provide two referees unrelated to me.I was thinking of the woman who organises the Hong Kong boys that stay at half term and my GP.
I remember being told many years ago that the clothes handed into a particular shop were not sold in that shop so people didnt recognise their relatives clothes on their neighbours etc but I dont think that is true really.
I can imagine people asking for things in a different size/colour!
I must be tempting to buy a fair bit yourself unless that's against the rules.Maybe it has to go out on the shelves for a certain length of time to stop volunteers cherrypicking!

Savvy_Sue

I'm sure some cherry picking goes on, but policy will vary from one shop or chain to another, I'm sure.

I did think of another possible 'against', in that some established volunteers may think they know best and not want to change anything. I'm putting this tactfully, you understand, but sometimes you get the same kind of problems you can get in the workplace, it depends a lot on the shop manager and their ability to really manage volunteers.

Artytarty

Sounds like Mary Portas Queen of Charity Shops!I'm not a natural leader anyway so would tend to go with the flow, however if I had an idea I might mention it.
I did have a wee scurry round the other day, incognito, they seem like nice folk.
I actually did the same in another charitys local shop some months ago and thought I wouldnt like to work there!