Shop Volunteer (Totnes)
Suggested Involvement Choosing to become a volunteer with Save the Children UK can open a host of exciting opportunities to make friends, learn new skills, and expand your experience. Whether you’d like to volunteer a couple of hours a week or more, this is something we will discuss with you to make sure you’re able to comfortably manage and enjoy your volunteer role around your other commitments.
I’m under the age of 18 years. Can I apply to become a shop volunteer? At a small selection of shops, applications can be accepted from volunteers aged 16- and 17-years, but no younger, on a trial basis. Information about this exciting step to trial young volunteer involvement in shops, including how and why we’re trialling this, can be found here.
Whatever time you’d like to give, if you’re under 18 years we recommend talking to your parent, guardian, or carer before applying to see what the right fit will be.
Why volunteer with Save the Children? In over 100 countries worldwide, we support children to transform their lives. By providing live-saving short-term help, and pushing for deep-rooted social change, we help children take their future into their own hands.
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.
We’re passionate about what we do, and love giving second-hand clothing a chance of going to a good home. Our shop teams are key to raising vital funds for our work and act as incredible advocates for the rights of children both in the UK and around the world.
Volunteering in the shop Our shop volunteers are in the middle of it all, and there’s plenty to get involved with. You might be sorting and pricing stock, engaging with customers, ringing items through the till, creating fantastic window displays or keeping our shop floor looking organised.
Skills and experiences required We welcome applications from people with a wide range of skills and experiences. 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 will follow Save the Children’s expectations as well as be an excellent representative for Save the Children.
We know that our shop teams are stronger when they are inclusive and representative of their communities. Everybody can make a real difference. People come to us for all sorts of reasons, from all backgrounds, and we will do what we can to find a role which works for you.
What happens next? After you’ve filled in an application, we will invite you for a trial shift. It’s a great opportunity to visit the shop, meet some of our existing volunteers and have a go at some of the tasks that you would be supporting with as a shop volunteer. Hopefully allowing you to get a feel for the role and make sure it’s for you. We also ask for a couple of references (these don’t have to be formal workplace ones, just someone who has known you for over six months, isn’t related, and is 18 years of age or older), and parental consent will be collected for volunteers aged 16 and 17 years old.
How you’ll hear about your application Once you’ve applied, you’ll receive notifications to the email address you apply with. Sometimes the emails we send about your application go into junk folders. We will keep in touch with you through an email address ending in @save-the-children.goassemble.com, so do check your junk folder for confirmation of your application and other messages from us.
Safeguarding at Save the Children Everyone at Save the Children must demonstrate the highest standards of behaviour towards children and adults in both our 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.