Has anyone ever volunteered at a charity shop?
Posted by frxdxy@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 35 comments
Im debating volunteering for a new charity shop opening in the area and was wondering if anyone has an experience (good or bad!) Or anything else i need to bear in mind?
My reasons are it gets me out the house, I do enjoy a good charity shop and idk, it might be fun?
Thank you x
burntso@reddit
I volunteered at sense for six months cus my cv was patchy and I wanted to help out while also getting some work experience. Really enjoyed the job but the boss was very cruel, wouldn’t help staff even when very busy and asked me to confront shop lifting groups alone. When I asked for a reference from her for a job I applied for she refused and said I was needed at the shop and couldn’t pursue any job opportunities. I left soon after as I had a young child and the whole point of me being there was to improve our lives
FreeBogwoppits@reddit
I've seen that where I volunteer. When younger staff announce they've got a paying job, the manager never congratulates them. They're straight in with "but you work here on Saturday so how will you fit the new job around it?'
FreeBogwoppits@reddit
Me! I love it l, but I'm very lucky that I'm with nice people.
I only work one shift a week, one Saturday morning. Sometimes I'm out the front on the til or doing the displays, other times I'm out in the back rummaging or steaming. The other volunteers are quite diverse, so its a lot of fun working with people from such different backgrounds and different ages and life experiences.
The manager carries quite a burden with it all, there's a lot of targets and a lot of problems with volunteers not turning out, but I deliberately don't get involved in any of it.
Before I volunteered at the shop I'd been there as a customer a few times, and I'd seen new volunteers be frozen out, so my hopes weren't high. But Saturday AM gang are lovely. I have no wish to meet the Wednesday women who seem to just sit and bitch about their daughter-in-laws.
The volunteering is good for me. I'm going through some difficult stuff in my life, and the volunteering is my anchor. I get up, turn up, and do the job.
Fit-Return2142@reddit
I did as a teenager. I really wanted to like it, because I believed in the charity it was helping and I really wanted some work experience. It was absolutely horrendous. My 'Manager' didn't bother to teach me anything, but expected me to just know what do including how to use a till and apply 'Gift Aid' with absolutely no instruction or supervision first, even though I was promised to be fully trained in all areas of the shop. She spent 99% of the time sat in the doorway of the back with the door open smoking. Unfortunately, all the other workers/volunteers were best friends with her so it would have been my word against hers to have reported it, and I felt very intimidated because they were passive aggressive to me at best. I quit after a few weeks, after getting a very aggressive message demanding to know where I was because I was scheduled to come in. I knew that wasn't remotely true as we had both agreed my volunteer hours around my sixth form college hours and I was not due in that day. Looking back I really should have reported her for the numerous health and safety infringements (not that I really knew them at the time) and the way that she was addressing a vulnerably young volunteer. The shop shut down not long after, so maybe someone else did...
That said I volunteered for other charities after that and they were some of the loveliest most patient people that I have ever met, so don't put up with terrible people and find something that actually values volunteers and you'll love it as much as I did! 😊
pickindim_kmet@reddit
I "volunteered" when I was right out of school. It was when that scheme for unemployed meant the Job Centre could force people into a full time role with zero pay.
That aside, it was miserable. I didn't get anywhere near the shop floor my entire time. I was unloading a van once a day full of donations and taking them to an upstairs storage room. 100+ trips up and down stairs with bags of clothes, books and trash sometimes.
90% of stuff got thrown in the bin. There were also fresh out of prison "volunteers" that were being forced to work there too who sat and smoked at the emergency exit the entire day.
That forced stuff doesn't happen any more thankfully, so the other people there might be more pleasant. Those who ran the place were nice enough but certainly gatekept the nicer elements of the job to themselves.
Every shop will be different I suppose, don't let my experience discourage you.
EdibleBeans-on-Toast@reddit
used to travel around decorating store fronts for charities, which was something I did for experience to get into visual merchandising. loved the people who worked there, all so lovely. If I had more time, I would definitely do it again
TheMarkMatthews@reddit
They can be very cliquey. You may be volunteers but are expected to follow a lot of rules and procedures. Like any job you could get a great bunch of people or a shower of c… to work with.
Tastetherainbow_2016@reddit
I actually really enjoyed it. There were a few horrors, like putting my hand in a donation bag without looking and grabbing hold of some crusty dirty underwear (highly recommend gloves. You’d be amazed what disgusting crap can be lurking in those bags)
Also found a wad of cash hidden inside some rolled up socks, takings were good that day lol
Was lucky enough to volunteer at a shop in a pretty boujee location so got myself some bargain designer goods for cheap (dont think all charity shops allow this though, management discretion applies)
Emergency_Cookie_318@reddit
I've worked in a British heart foundation and a Mary Stevens hospice shop. I enjoyed my time at mary Stevens. Good people. Heart foundation not so much. Everyone in that shop was an AH.
jay19903562@reddit
Done it for a bit in the past when I was between jobs and carried on after I got a new job. My girlfriend at the time was the manager of the shop.
It was mostly alright. Had some regular customers you could have a laugh with. And some alright volunteers.
One thing you might be surprised at is the absolute junk some people donate. The shop I volunteered at was in a relatively affluent area so we got some good stuff as well. But anything that wasn't decent got sent to the rag trade or binned. Frustrating at times that we didn't have a way of transferring stock between shops officially. Occasionally a manager from another shop would get a few bags in their car but that wasn't really sustainable or legal.
Also be prepared for some volunteers that might have been there a while that are very set in their ways. I remember the shop I was at lost a few older volunteers because we had to swap the stock room around for fire safety reasons and they absolutely lost their minds about it.
Gothywinelady@reddit
Someone I know had to do community service in one. They absolutely loved it. They bought gifts home most weeks and had a right laugh at some of the donations. Think they did dressing up at quieter times.
underwater-sunlight@reddit
My mother in law does a day a week in a charity shop that focuses on clothing (there is a sister shop in town that has other stuff but she doesnt like that shop as much)
She enjoys dressing the window, she usually buys at least one thing every week and has gotten first dibs on a few things (always gets someone else to price it up and often pays a little more as she doesnt want to feel like she is taking the piss)
It keeps her sociable, gives her something to do having been retired for a few years and she can tie it in with her shopping on the way home to save an extra trip
Widebody_lover@reddit
slow paced job and difficult to get fired from. Sign me up
sunheadeddeity@reddit
Unpaid though...
thejaffacakewitch@reddit
I used to volunteer at a charity bookshop. The people were lovely but it got boring pretty fast for me.
Some places will be lovely with amazing people. Some will be shite with absolute bastards running the place.
I'm currently looking into volunteering at a historical site in my city.
RealBingoTalk@reddit
Genuinely, it sounds like a good idea if your main goal is getting out of the house and meeting people a bit more.
Most people I know who volunteered at charity shops said the environment was usually pretty relaxed, and you also end up finding some surprisingly interesting stuff while sorting donations.
I’d just say don’t expect it to always be super organised because some smaller shops run mostly on volunteers, but overall it can be a really nice experience.
RyCarbo96@reddit
My sister is currently to get some experience using the till she loves it
Sadie_UK@reddit
Yes. The management goes through donations and puts anything pricey on ebay lmfao
Jimquill@reddit
Yes I did it as a kid when I had no work experience.
Mum also worked in one in another town.
Some of them are lovely to work in, and some of them are run by power mad lunatics.
Like any job really.
Electronblue69@reddit
Charity shop sue lol
MD564@reddit
I really want some anecdotes now from people who have had to work under such people.
ToeIndependent19@reddit
Sounds like a good way to meet people! Hope it goes well! x
ElJayEm80@reddit
Volunteered or court ordered community service?
BreadfruitOk5332@reddit
You get some absolute bellends. Trying to haggle over a 15p plate.
admoose275@reddit
I did it for a summer after I left school and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Low pressure, nice chats with people, first pick on new stock
mcintg@reddit
My wife volunteers at 2 charity shops, she enjoys it.
Electronblue69@reddit
I did once years ago it was alright actually. Just me and a few older ladies, generally nice but a couple of them quite bossy lol, a manager who mostly messed about on her computer and a guy with learning disabilities who did the till. It was more laidback than the paid retail work that I've done - lots of steam cleaning of clothes and drinking cups of tea - there was even a little television to watch - it was positive experience overall - I suppose after a while though the not being paid gets a bit frustrating especially if you do a decent number of shifts.
RhubarbImmediate7007@reddit
Due to some questionable management decisions, I had to take 6 weeks of accrued holiday in a row.
I decided to volunteer but found it really hard to find anywhere that would take me full time for 6 weeks, rather than 2 hours every Tuesday morning or whatever.
Fortunately the local Oxfam book shop took me on, and it was great. By being “full time” I was able to be useful and actually helpful. Lots of volunteers wanted to do particular tasks, or couldn’t be involved in specific roles due to the limited hours they offered. I loved it, and carried on doing occasional shifts when I was back in work for a few months until I moved away.
No real down sides, it was fun, I got cheap books, nice atmosphere, nice customers mostly and colleagues were all sound. Real mix of volunteers as well that I found good as it included people I wouldn’t ordinarily meet.
BusyBeeBridgette@reddit
I do a 2 hour shift at Barnardos and Cancer Research UK charity shops in my local town. I work from home so this is my ideal time to get out and claw back some sanity. Mostly I sifted through things that can be sold and things that can't be sold. Or I would shelf stack and chat to customers.
I wouldn't say it is fun. But it is nice. Get to chat to people and unwind. Well worth it too as you get a sense of giving back to the community too.
tanoshimi@reddit
Yes, for Oxfam.
As you say, it gets you out the house, gives you a purpose, meet people, and sorting out the ever-changing stock can be interesting!
The worst bits is that some other volunteers can be a little hard to manage (there was somewhat of a hierarchy of those that had been volunteering the longest, those that were authorised to use the till etc.) but that's no different than in any other group of people.
Success_With_Lettuce@reddit
Before my father passed he did, for two. It kept him busy, he really enjoyed it too post retirement. He was severely over qualified however. But he loved the interactions and helping out
Individual-Diver-660@reddit
I have.
Two different shops.
I did it because I had free time between studying (I never did really, nor do I currently, go out to drink etc).
Left when i became too busy but also when it became something monotonous. It was doing the same thing, over and overall until it got dark
Flaky-Walrus7244@reddit
I've been volunteering at a Cancer Reserach cahrity shop for the past 4 years. I enjoy it a lot, it's a great way to make friends and get involved in the community. I was surprised at how much more complex a charity shop is than I ever thought it would be.
Y2Reigns@reddit
Briefly. It can become extremely busy especially in the summer or deadly slow ; be prepared for both. There is a lot of organizing, stock take & pricing up ( which for me, just made me want way too many items for myself! ) but it's fun seeing what comes in. It's a great way to spend a few hours out of the house for sure.
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