Shop Volunteer (Fun and Friendship in Fulwood!)
**Who are we looking for: **
Are you bargain-hunting treasure-finder? Are you an avid reader, a collector or new language learner? Do you love to chat with new friends and old? Maybe you just moved to the area? Perhaps you are a social media master or a shed-bound tinkerer with a gift for repairs? Do you have a gap in your CV that you’d like to fill? Perhaps you are fed up with daytime TV and just fancy getting out of the house for a while? Whatever your skill set and however you want to grow, you could be our next best volunteer!
At Save The Children Shop, Fulwood, we are looking for new shop-based volunteers to get involved in all areas of our fundraising mission. With everything from sorting and pricing stock, to building displays, welcoming our loyal customers and manning a till, to recruiting new volunteers, representing the charity in the local community and telling the stories of those we help through Save the Children programmes worldwide - we are never bored.
**Why volunteering in a Save the Children charity shop matters: **
A few hours a week in a shop in Fulwood might not seem like a lot to change the world, but our volunteers not only change our local community with the support and experience they offer through our shop, they also change the lives of children in over 110 countries by raising the funds to provide life-saving help and deep-rooted social change, because all children deserve a future.
We believe every child has the right to learn. Every child should have good food to fuel their bodies and every child should have medicine when they're sick. Our shops provide essential support, helping to raise the funds so that children in the UK and worldwide can have these basic needs fulfilled.
Charity shops in the UK saved 339,000 tonnes of textiles last year from landfill and we see giving second-hand items a chance of going to a good home as doing our part to secure a better future for all children. We aren't just selling pre-loved stuff, we are making a greener planet one old jumper at time!
**Why you should volunteer with Preston Shop: ** Our Preston Shop is a very special place. Not only do we run an amazing shop which is constantly changing and growing, this year the shop turned 18 and, proudly, we still retain many of the original volunteer team as well our more recent additions. Our team numbers more than 30 and includes members from 18-88 years old, from all sorts of different backgrounds and with all sorts of different abilities.
As a team we are involved in local events such as Caribbean Carnival and Preston Pride, We have taken part in fashion shows and local news articles and the Save the Children Retail Festival in Manchester as well as our monthly volunteer socials – There's always something going on which volunteers can choose to get involved with.
If you are looking for fun, friendship and feel-good vibes, Preston shop is the place for you! We are all about wholehearted hard work with a great sense of camaraderie and an awful lot of laughs.
**Skills and Experiences Required **
- Be human (18+)
- Be kind
- Be willing to learn
We welcome applications from people with a wide range of skills and experiences - or none - that’s fine too! You don’t need any retail or shop experience as full training will be provided. What’s important to us is that you are a team player, open to learning and willing to follow Save the Children’s policies, as well as being an excellent representative for Save the Children.
**What next? **
After you’ve filled in an application, keep an eye on your email. We will invite you for an informal trial shift at the shop in Fulwood. You’ll get to meet some of our existing volunteers and have a go at some of the tasks that you could be doing as a shop volunteer. There’s no pressure, just get a feel for the role make sure it’s for you. You can ask any questions you may have and together, we can have a look at the rota and see where you and your particular skills might best fit before we make any decisions to proceed.
When we are both happy and have decided that you would like to join the squad, we’ll ask for a couple of references (these don’t have to be formal workplace ones, just someone who has known you for over 6 months and isn’t related). Once we have received these completed references, we can get you booked for your first shift and introduce you to your shift buddies. May the fun begin!
**Keep an eye on your email! ** Once you’ve applied, you’ll receive notifications to the email address that you applied with. Sometimes the emails we send about your application go into junk folders so do check your junk folder for confirmation of your application and other messages from us, they’ll come from an email address ending in @save-the-children.goassemble.com .
**Safeguarding at Save the Children **
Everyone at Save the Children must demonstrate the highest standards of behaviour towards children and adults in both out professional and personal lives. Everyone with a concern should report it at once. More information on safeguarding can be found here including how to make a report.
We are committed to protecting and keeping children safe. We select, check and manage our volunteers to make sure that we are able to do this. All volunteers and staff must agree to and follow our code of conduct. Any questions about becoming a volunteer? Call 020 3763 0260 or email volunteersupport@savethechildren.org.uk