Shop Charity Store in '24!

Cherryfudge

That's an interesting link @Rosa_Damascena, though I won't claim to have read the lot!

A couple of things did occur to me though. I've heard that the CEO is paid a lot - but I would imagine this is what's usually paid for a person with similar responsibilities elsewhere (I'm open to correction on this). Why should someone working for a charity be expected to donate a proportion of their market value to their employer, when they wouldn't be expected to in another industry? Or look at it another way, why should a charity employ a less skilled CEO, who might not serve the purpose as well?

Secondly, I found this in the independent auditor's report:



Total income £400,000,000, of which nearly a quarter is from 'other trading' (i.e. non-charitable). I'm assuming this includes things like coffee sales, which promote a fair trade economy, and for which we often pay a premium because that reflects the real cost. So choosing fair trade is a form of chartable giving, if we have an option to buy cheaper elsewhere.

This is a mega charity. We tend to see the High Street face of it: the charity shops and second hand book sales, but in fact it has to be run as a business - so there are also investments and publicity which help underpin it as a viable venture. If by backing Fair Trade, they are enabling small traders to have a decent income and better working conditions, it would be hypocritical not to pay the going wage for a given job in the UK. That said - I don't get a tenth of what that CEO gets! Most of us don't. I don't get what the big bosses in my organisation get, either. I don't need that level of income.

I understand it seems preposterous that anyone can 'take £120,000 from a charity', but it's also about the norms of UK culture and the skills and experience of the person employed to do that job, and what he or she brings that helps that charity have such a colossal turnover.

Just saying there are two sides to it, I guess.  

Rosa_Damascena

Cherryfudge said:

I understand it seems preposterous that anyone can 'take £120,000 from a charity', but it's also about the norms of UK culture and the skills and experience of the person employed to do that job, and what he or she brings that helps that charity have such a colossal turnover.

I don't disagree with the level of skill required - but I would far prefer that it came from a place of "giving". I quite happily volunteer my time to my chosen causes in a strategic / managerial capacity but would never charge a charity for it, especially one that serves people who lack the basics in life. I would much rather not have any commercial relationship with a charity - unless of course it is involves buying from / donating to a chazza!

Brie

I work for a charity.  And get paid about the same hourly rate as I got when working for one of the UK's largest financial organisations up til 2 years back.  That said, I now have more responsibilities and get significantly less benefits.  I have no idea what the top brass in the charity get but I expect it's a decent whack for running a very diverse operation.  All the people I work with seem to have an excess of energy and need to give a lot of time to get some crucial work done.  And a lot of them are devout Christians (not a job requirement btw) so tithe as well.   

It is a very different feel to another charity I worked for a few decades back where management were obviously on the take and very mean spirited in their approach to both staff and volunteers.  

Cherryfudge

I'm assuming the person who is CEO for Oxfam has that as their main source of income, and if they were to volunteer their skills, they would be required either to have a passive source of income (no idea if they do or not), or to work reduced hours for the charity in order to fund themselves by working elsewhere. 

I think the whole thing about pay scales is emotionally charged: for instance why do so many public servants work multiple jobs? Often it's out of need. Yet if you argue that they should do a work of public service (teacher, care worker etc.) out of compassion... well, yes, a lot of people in these posts give of their own time and resources, but it doesn't mean they shouldn't be paid a decent wage. It doesn't even mean they should be expected to give extra - why should they when no one comes round the rest of the population asking for voluntary contributions to the school down the road or the care home next door. And if a charity is to depend entirely on giving, not on paid staff, it will be limited to retired people, people with private income, or people whose income is high enough and still have spare time to give. So you lose skills to the private sector and have to juggle staff to cover what needs doing - which isn't the most efficient way of running anything.

That said, this is really interesting - what a huge range of pay for CEOs of different charities! Some of it might be linked to the financial size of the charity and/or complexity of the post.

Of course, the big question is how much should people be paid? But if you limit wages in the charity sector because the money should be going to the cause not the CEO, the private sector will cream off many of the most able people.

And now I'm going right off topic, sorry. I haven't bought anything in a charity shop recently. I have wandered into a few, but so far I've talked myself out of everything I liked. I need to do this more often this year as I have Too Much Stuff.

Potternerd

First CS purchase of the year: a red cotton twill Red Herring military style jacket £3.50. The buttons are a bit boring but I have just the right ones to make it a bit groovier.

im being a bit choosier there were about 7 other things I could have bought but didn’t.

Rosa_Damascena

Potternerd said:

First CS purchase of the year: a red cotton twill Red Herring military style jacket £3.50. The buttons are a bit boring but I have just the right ones to make it a bit groovier.

im being a bit choosier there were about 7 other things I could have bought but didn’t.

How about a pic when its back in the groove?

Wednesday2000

I was looking for a "new" pair of black boots yesterday as the sole of my black boots has a big hole in it. I looked in the St Vincent's shop in Westcliff and then in The Salvation Army shop in Southend. I found some black furry lined ankle boots in there and then I went to Barnado's (I think) as I knew they sold new socks there as I bought some last year. I got 6 pairs of warm socks as my old socks had also developed holes in the toes. That all came to £15 and that was my first charity shop purchase of 2024. Not very exciting, but useful.

Miró

My trip to the St Gemma's 99p shop in Otley this week saw me come away with an M & S thick knitted A-line midi skirt and a set of 2 BNWT M & S bras.  Also got a large box stylee picture frame in beech wood, with a double mount included, in the 20p shop.  Sadly it is too big for the cheerful, chalk picture of poppies I picked up in the Thirsk hospice shop last week.

Rosa_Damascena

I did a whirlwind tour of 3 chazzers and bought a M&S blouse, metal plant pot holder, 2 large mugs, an empty tin, a magnetic board with an atlas print and 3 books for a grand total of £6. Stuff is still out there, its a case of finding it.

Miró

Did the rounds of the Thirsk chazza shops this afty.  Got a pair of Zara ankle grazer trousers in navy for £3, a box of 4 prs of Asda knee highs for 50p and a fancy peony smelly candle for 50p.

Update on the £150 Hermes scarf from last week…..it sold within hours of being displayed in the window!