The current success we’re seeing across charity retail is brilliant news.
But despite this, recruitment and retention remain a massive challenge, with stores sometimes being forced to close due to lack of staff and volunteers.
So how do we make sure we can build – and keep – the right team to make sure we’re taking advantage of the hugely buoyant market?
Invest in your team
Retail teams are often overlooked when it comes to learning and development. Mandatory training can be all that’s on offer – and frequently this is aimed at non-retailers, therefore limiting it’s resonance and impact.
We see this as a missed opportunity – and a disservice to your retail teams. Investing in them by providing relevant and engaging training can help improve recruitment, motivation and retention.
How Learning & Development can help
Making good choices about investment your teams when planning budgets is essential. Take a look at these statistics:
- 94% of employees say that they would be more willing to stay in a corporation that invests into employee training and development.
- 86% of millennials would remain at their job if offered better training & development courses
- Companies that offer professional development opportunities have 34% higher retention rates
- Companies providing comprehensive training programmes have a 218% higher income per employee than those that invest less*
Charity Retail Learning Subscription – a simple, effective solution
Charity Retail Learning is a joint venture between 2 trusted sector organisations – the Charity Retail Association and The Charity Retail Consultancy, and is the UK’s only sector specific, online and face to face training provider.
Created by and for charity retailers, our courses are highly rated by learners, simple to access and great value.
With prices from just £252 plus VAT per shop per year, our subscription offer gives you everything you need for your team’s learning and development:
Features
- Unlimited access to 30+ courses and webinars for all staff and starters
- Includes new courses and webinars
- Account management set-up and support
- Choice of 1,2 and 3 year options with just one annual payment
- Training provided by sector leading experts
Benefits
- SAVE up to 71% on pay as you go prices
- Impact – complete training solution & support
- Ease – minimal administration and easy trainee access
- Flexibility – teams and individuals can select the courses and timings to suit their needs
- Support – your own dedicated account manager and 24/7 access to all reports
- Charity retail focus – content that engages, upskills and inspires your retail team
How can I find out more?
To find out more, book a no obligation chat with us today by calling Vicki on 07985 574904 or email hello@thecharityretailacademy.co.uk
Or you can get a bespoke quote using our easy cost calculator
We can also support you with creating a business case to support your investment if needed – and at no extra cost. So when you’re setting your budgets for 2024/25 don’t forget – investing in your team really is money well spent.
*Sources: LinkedIn; Better Buys Professional Development Report; Growth Engineering
More About Us
The Charity Retail Consultancy helps charity retailers and other non-profits be their brilliant best.
Charity Retail Learning provides online & face to face training developed by charity retailers, for charity retailers. We work in partnership with the Charity Retail Association to deliver training to their members and beyond.
The Charity Retail Coach – Dan O’Driscoll offers a first class executive coaching service
The Charity Retail Merchandiser – Kat Maclennan helps you create stunning and profitable displays in store and online
To find out more or to speak to us about how we can help you, please get in touch:
hello@thecharityretailconsultancy.co.uk
Jayne – 07598 243210
Vicki – 07985 574904
Follow us on social media:
We’re just home from the Charity Retail Conference in Harrogate. We’re still feeling the energy, excitement and love for preloved that was palpable over the two days.
What an event! We never stopped chatting to all the amazing folk there….so much so that Vicki even lost her voice – and we’re definitely not used to her being quiet! 🤣
For us, the highs were:
💚 How positive everyone felt about how our amazing sector is performing just now. Preloved is definitely top of the sustainability agenda and as a sector we’re all stepping up to meet the new demand and keep ahead of the game.
💚 Hearing the fabulous stories of the award winners – hands up everyone who quickly wiped away a tear when the Young Volunteer Award was announced….. 🙋♀️🙋♂️.
💚 Seeing the amazing reaction to our Charity Retail Learning subscription package. Partnering with the Charity Retail Association to help inspire and upskill retail teams makes us so proud – and we were delighted that so many of you wanted to sign up for a subscription.
CRL subscription package flyer 2023
💚 Attending our good friend Ngozi Lyn Cole’s EDI session. Creating an inclusive sector is all our responsibility and we’re proud to work with Ngozi on this journey.
💚 Going to the Thriftify pre-conference evening and hearing from influencers about their take on preloved, sustainable fashion. They are the future and we love them! (And PS, how AMAZING was Emily from Thriftify’s orange dress?! 😍)
💚 Seeing our I ♥ Charity Shops Pride badges being worn with pride all around the Conference. And if you haven’t already done it – why not enter your shops’ displays into our Pride Display competition? We’re posting videos of entries every week until the closing date on our YouTube channel so make sure you check them out.
💚 Seeing all our old friends and making new ones.
Our sector is a wonderful thing – and Conference is always a brilliant place to celebrate that. Thank you to the CRA team for pulling off yet another first rate event, to all those we spoke with that visited our stands, to the people who came along to our sessions – and just to charity retail for being such an important part of our – and so many others – lives for such a long time.
Here’s to 2024!
More About Us
The Charity Retail Consultancy helps charity retailers and other non-profits be their brilliant best.
Charity Retail Learning provides online & face to face training developed by charity retailers, for charity retailers. We work in partnership with the Charity Retail Association to deliver training to their members and beyond.
The Charity Retail Coach – Dan O’Driscoll offers a first class executive coaching service
The Charity Retail Marketeer – Julian Temblett can support you with all your charity’s marketing needs
The Charity Retail Merchandiser – Kat Maclennan helps you create stunning and profitable displays in store and online
To find out more or to speak to us about how we can help you, please get in touch:
hello@thecharityretailconsultancy.co.uk
Jayne – 07598 243210
Vicki – 07985 574904
Follow us on social media:
Here at The Consultancy we’re getting very excited for the 2023 Charity Retail Association conference in Harrogate.
We’ve got new stands, new activities (including a free Lucky Dip – who doesn’t love one of those?!) and even some new people coming along with us.
So to help you get to know us better, we’re each sharing our answers to 3 Very Important Questions:
1 What’s your favourite thing about charity retail?
2. What’s the best thing you ever bought from a charity shop (online or bricks & mortar)?
3. What are you most excited about for the future of charity retail?
Here we go…..
Jayne (Founder & Director & Co-Founder of Charity Retail Learning)
Favourite thing:
Charity shops are all about goodness – good for the planet, good for the pocket, good for a vibrant high street, good for the community, and good for the parent charity. Seriously, what’s not to love?!
Best buy:
My Stella McCartney Adidas trainers, from RSPCA Glossop for £10! I wear them all the time.
Future:
The sector is awash with opportunities and possibilities. Sales and profits are better than ever, and there is more appetite for innovation. What I love most in my role at The Charity Retail Consultancy is highlighting local and broader opportunities to our lovely clients and helping make them a reality.
Vicki (Senior Consultant & Co-Founder of Charity Retail Learning)
Favourite thing:
I love the creativity, and that everything about it is good – it’s sustainable, provides fabulous volunteering and employment opportunities, helps maintain lively and diverse high streets, engages with the community and raises millions of pounds for lots of fantastic causes.
Best buy:
My big Burberry scarf – from Martin House Wetherby shop. Bought over the phone after they shared it on their Facebook page. I live 300 miles away and they posted it to me. Fantastic service and I’ve worn it every winter (and some summers!) for the past 5 years!
Future:
Seeing young people engage more with the sector. I can’t wait to see what their energy and passion for the planet brings.
Diane (Associate Consultant)
Favourite thing:
The people, the sector community and that working within is helping make the world a better place.
Best buy:
A lovely gold framed mirror.
Future:
Constantly evolving, learning and as it becomes more on trend, the better we and the planet will be.
Julian (The Charity Retail Marketeer)
Favourite thing:
The positive contribution to society in so many ways
Best buy:
A table from our local Emmaus that my wife Suzy upcycled
Future:
Where Gen Z, who love preloved, will take the sector in the future
Amelia (Engagement Associate)
Favourite thing:
The community that each store establishes. The charm of the crowd that charity retail attracts, from the local shoppers to the volunteers, all of whom are there to support an invaluable charity, creates a sense of community and kindness which is hard to come by in any other area of retail.
Best buy:
My trusty pair of Birkenstock clogs!
Future:
I’m excited for the future of charity retail’s clear social and environmental benefits as a result of its sustainability. Charity retail is at the heart of the sustainable fight for climate justice, as a result of its promotion of re-using and recycling puts sustainability over micro-trends and over consumption.
So there you have it – a team full of love for the sector and optimism for the future. ❤
And if you want to join in, Amelia will be roving with her camera phone over the 2 days, asking you the same three questions. We’d love hear your thoughts – and then share them on our You Tube channel over the coming weeks.
Looking forward to seeing you all there!
Find The Charity Retail Consultancy on Stand 30 and Charity Retail Learning with the Charity Retail Association stand
More About Us
The Charity Retail Consultancy helps charity retailers and other non-profits be their brilliant best.
Charity Retail Learning provides online & face to face training developed by charity retailers, for charity retailers. We work in partnership with the Charity Retail Association to deliver training to their members and beyond.
The Charity Retail Coach – Dan O’Driscoll offers a first class executive coaching service
The Charity Retail Marketeer – Julian Temblett can support you with all your charity’s marketing needs
The Charity Retail Merchandiser – Kat Maclennan helps you create stunning and profitable displays in store and online
To find out more or to speak to us about how we can help you, please get in touch:
hello@thecharityretailconsultancy.co.uk
Jayne – 07598 243210
Vicki – 07985 574904
Follow us on social media:
Each week we share with you our pick of the best stories on charity retail, shopping secondhand and the circular economy from the UK, Ireland and around the world.
We also add links to relevant Charity Retail Learning courses associated with each article to help you implement some of the ideas we’re sharing
Here’s our pick from the past 7 days
It’s all happening at the Charity Retail Association!
Two really important bits of news from our chums at the CRA this week. Firstly – have you booked your conference place yet? It’s always a fantastic event and well worth attending. Places can be booked via the link.
We’ll be there with stands from the Consultancy and Charity Retail Learning, alongside lots of other fabulous exhibitors with exciting and helpful products for you and your retail operation.
Charity Retail Conference 2023 | Charity Retail Association
And – even more excitingly (if that’s even possible!) – the shortlist for the Charity Retail Awards was announced this week.
There’s some amazing people and organisations in there – congratulations to all those who’ve been shortlisted. And a special shout out to all our friends and clients in the list: Caroline Peach & St Barnabas Hospice, Charlotte Greenwood & Isabel Hospice,Susan Cooper from Highland Hospice,Chris White & NCBI, Oxfam,Derwen College,Alan Haynes from All Aboard,Liz Booyse from City Hospice, The Air Ambulance Service, St Giles Hospice and Debra. Good luck everyone!
Charity Retail Awards shortlist 2023 | Charity Retail Association
Price of Vintage survey needs you!
Dr Esther Pugh from Leeds Beckett University is researching pricing in vintage stores. If you sell vintage in your operation and can spare a few minutes, she’d love your input. The survey is here
‘The Price of Vintage’ – Developing a Framework for the Pricing of Vintage Clothing
Community welcomes Salvation Army superstore
How lovely to read all the positive messages around a new Satcol donation centre in Stoke. A far cry from the days when charity shops were lumped in with bookmakers and pawn shops as an unwelcome presence on the high street. We wish the Salvation Army well with their new store.
Charity shop set to open on Stoke-on-Trent retail park | Stoke-on-Trent Live
Young Lives vs Cancer to close its retail operation
We were sad to read this news this week. We send our best to all the Young Lives vs Cancer staff and volunteers affected by the closure and hope you find new roles within the many other fabulous charities operating in the south west.
Charity shops bear cost of living brunt as 13 branches axed | Devon Live
News from Australia
Good news for Victoria charity shops as Government backs down on tax
The decision from the Victoria Government not to apply a waste levy on charity shops in the state is good news all round, and an acknowledgement of the important role charity shops play in the circular economy
A relief for charity shops | Berwick Star News
Volunteer with Vinnies Victoria!
We loved this wee volunteering video from Vinnies Victoria – diverse, upbeat and a simple yet strong message. Video is a great way to get your message across.
Vinnies Victoria Volunteering | Linkedin
Can giant charity shops stop fast fashion in its tracks? | The Big Issue
Pride Competition announced
Details of this year’s Pride display competition were announced this week. We loved your displays so much last year, we just knew we had to do it again! All the details are in the link – and if you’re looking for inspiration, our 2 for 1 offer means our Inclusion & Engagement VM webinar later this month is the place to go.
Get ready for the charity retail Pride display competition 2023! | The Charity Retail Consultancy
More About Us
The Charity Retail Consultancy helps charity retailers and other non-profits be their brilliant best.
Charity Retail Learning provides online & face to face training developed by charity retailers, for charity retailers. We work in partnership with the Charity Retail Association to deliver training to their members and beyond.
The Charity Retail Coach – Dan O’Driscoll offers a first class executive coaching service
The Charity Retail Marketeer – Julian Temblett can support you with all your charity’s marketing needs
The Charity Retail Merchandiser – Kat Maclennan helps you create stunning and profitable displays in store and online
To find out more or to speak to us about how we can help you, please get in touch:
hello@thecharityretailconsultancy.co.uk
Jayne – 07598 243210
Vicki – 07985 574904
Follow us on social media:
Each week we share with you our pick of the best stories on charity retail, shopping secondhand and the circular economy from the UK, Ireland and around the world.
We also add links to relevant Charity Retail Learning courses associated with each article to help you implement some of the ideas we’re sharing
Here’s our pick from the past 7 days
Pride Competition announced
Details of this year’s Pride display competition were announced this week. We loved your displays so much last year, we just knew we had to do it again! All the details are in the link – and if you’re looking for inspiration, our 2 for 1 offer means our Inclusion & Engagement VM webinar later this month is the place to go.
Get ready for the charity retail Pride display competition 2023! | The Charity Retail Consultancy
Secondhand market predictions
An interesting read from Thredup and the US, with lots of good links too. Lots of focus on commercial partnerships and not a mention of thrift shops! We need to make sure as a sector we hold our space.
ThredUp CEO on Resale Economy: ‘Math Says This Stuff Is Super Hard’ | Yahoo
“How to break up with fast fashion” author, Lauren Bravo, sings the praises of charity shops
After 5 years volunteering with Crisis and a lifelong love of secondhand, Lauren Bravo tells us why she believes charity shops are he romantic heroes of the high street
Why charity shops are the romantic heroes of the high street | Evening Standard
An eco-friendly Coronation party – courtesy of your local charity shops!
Some great tips here for making sure there’s as little waste as possible during the weekend’s celebrations. Good to share with your customers.
Top tips for making your Jubilee party eco-friendly (lancashire.gov.uk)
You never know what you might find….
How lovely is this story, about a rowing club trophy found in the RSPCA Burton shop? Everyone’s a winner!
More About Us
The Charity Retail Consultancy helps charity retailers and other non-profits be their brilliant best.
Charity Retail Learning provides online & face to face training developed by charity retailers, for charity retailers. We work in partnership with the Charity Retail Association to deliver training to their members and beyond.
The Charity Retail Coach – Dan O’Driscoll offers a first class executive coaching service
The Charity Retail Marketeer – Julian Temblett can support you with all your charity’s marketing needs
The Charity Retail Merchandiser – Kat Maclennan helps you create stunning and profitable displays in store and online
To find out more or to speak to us about how we can help you, please get in touch:
hello@thecharityretailconsultancy.co.uk
Jayne – 07598 243210
Vicki – 07985 574904
Follow us on social media:
After the fantastic response to our Pride display competition last year, we’re thrilled to let you know that we’re running it once again in 2023.
Over June and July, we’re looking forward to seeing the best of charity retail, with colourful, inclusive displays celebrating all things Pride.
Pics L to R: Sue Ryder, Keighley, Prince of Wales Hospice, Kippax, British Red Cross, Canterbury
You can email us pictures of your displays – both windows and in-store – between June 1st and July 21st to hello@thecharityretailconsultancy.co.uk
We’ll announce our winners on Wednesday 26th July.
Pics L to R: Devon Air Ambulance, Cowick St, Barnardo’s Vintage, Cheadle
Prizes will include a beautiful, stained glass Pride hanger for your shop window, training vouchers and other Pride goodies.
To help you deliver the best display you can, our wonderful VM expert and competition judge, Kat Maclennan is running a webinar on May 18th – Welcome All! Using VM to drive inclusivity and engagement through Pride month and beyond.
Places on the webinar are Buy One Get One Free too, so at just £25 pp plus VAT it’s not to be missed! You can book your place here.
Pics L to R: Hobart City Mission, Moonah, St Peter’s Hospice, Stoke Lane
We can’t wait to see your proud and fantastic creations!
(Main image is last year’s winner – Barnardo’s Marchant City, Glasgow)
More About Us
The Charity Retail Consultancy helps charity retailers and other non-profits be their brilliant best.
Charity Retail Learning provides online & face to face training developed by charity retailers, for charity retailers. We work in partnership with the Charity Retail Association to deliver training to their members and beyond.
The Charity Retail Coach – Dan O’Driscoll offers a first class executive coaching service
The Charity Retail Marketeer – Julian Temblett can support you with all your charity’s marketing needs
The Charity Retail Merchandiser – Kat Maclennan helps you create stunning and profitable displays in store and online
To find out more or to speak to us about how we can help you, please get in touch:
hello@thecharityretailconsultancy.co.uk
Jayne – 07598 243210
Vicki – 07985 574904
Follow us on social media:
Each week we share with you our pick of the best stories on charity retail, shopping secondhand and the circular economy from the UK, Ireland and around the world.
We also add links to relevant Charity Retail Learning courses associated with each article to help you implement some of the ideas we’re sharing
Here’s our pick from the past 7 days
Charity Retail Social Value survey – we need your input!
Our good friends at the Charity Retail Association are collecting views on the social value of charity shops via a short survey. If you haven’t completed it yet, please do – and share widely with your supporters and organisations, as it’s for everyone who shops, volunteers or works in charity retail. The more responses they get, the more valuable the research will be and the whole sector will benefit – so get sharing!
Social value of charity shops survey – We need your input! | Charity Retail Association
Can charity shops really be called “greedy”?
This is an interesting read from Third Sector in defense of accusations of “greed” around charity shops who don’t sell their goods for pennies (most shops nowadays!) You have to subscribe for free for the whole article, but definitely worth a read.
Ian MacQuillin: The ethics of ‘greedy’ charity shop prices | Third Sector
Retail Ambassador announced for BHF
We’re seeing several charities establishing Ambassador schemes to help raise awareness. Last month Charity Shop Girl Jen Brady and The Air Ambulance Service announced their partnership – and this week it’s BHF and Kimberly Hart-Simpson’s turn. Finding local (or national) influencers to work alongside your chain can really pay dividends. The CRA has contact details of influencers who are happy to be approached, so that’s a great place to start if you want to find out more
Kimberly Hart-Simpson announced as our first Retail Ambassador | BHF
Charity retail pop-up launching in Melbourne
After Charity Super.Mkt here in the UK, here’s news of a collaborative pop up in Australia too, run by Charitable Recycling Australia
Charitable Recycling Australia launches ‘Charity Shop?’ pop up | Wastemanagement Review
Crisis x De Montfort Uni collab
Working with fashion students can be a great way to highlight sustainability, reach new, younger supporters, raise profile and raise income. Here’s a lovely example from Crisis
DMU students’ designs on sale after winning sustainable fashion challenge
Unusual things found in charity shops….
We love a bit of a giggle – and a great charity shop oddment. So if you fancy some ring pulls in resin, a chicken impaler or a creepy cat with skull jewellery, it’s all here. Can’t wait to see if any of these make it to the Most Unusual Donated Item final at the CRA awards in June….
More About Us
The Charity Retail Consultancy helps charity retailers and other non-profits be their brilliant best.
Charity Retail Learning provides online & face to face training developed by charity retailers, for charity retailers. We work in partnership with the Charity Retail Association to deliver training to their members and beyond.
The Charity Retail Coach – Dan O’Driscoll offers a first class executive coaching service
The Charity Retail Marketeer – Julian Temblett can support you with all your charity’s marketing needs
The Charity Retail Merchandiser – Kat Maclennan helps you create stunning and profitable displays in store and online
To find out more or to speak to us about how we can help you, please get in touch:
hello@thecharityretailconsultancy.co.uk
Jayne – 07598 243210
Vicki – 07985 574904
Follow us on social media:
Each week we share with you our pick of the best stories on charity retail, shopping secondhand and the circular economy from the UK, Ireland and around the world.
We also add links to relevant Charity Retail Learning courses associated with each article to help you implement some of the ideas we’re sharing
Here’s our pick from the past 7 days
Volunteering to combat loneliness
Here’s a great blog that Billy Farrell, Assistant Director of Retail from CHSS wrote for us about how volunteering in a charity shop in combating isolation and loneliness. Why not share it on your socials to help attract volunteers to your charity?
Volunteering To Combat Isolation and Loneliness | The Charity Retail Consultancy
Volunteer Recruitment – how to develop, implement & review an effective volunteer recruitment plan
Volunteer Induction & Recognition
Gen Z shopping habits
An interesting article on the different shopping habits across the generations. Gen Zs are the most likely to shop secondhand online to save money, with 42% purchasing a pre-owned item digitally in the past year.
Survey reveals online shopping habits of Gen Z | Chain Store Age
Introduction to ecommerce | Charity Retail Learning
Increase in customers, decrease in donations?
Lots of charities are reporting record sales just now which is fabulous. But are you beginning to see a drop off in donations as people hold onto items for longer for sustainability and financial reasons – or are selling their goods privately online? This article from Canada tells us that the Salvation Army Thrift Stores there need more stock in the light of increased sales. Make sure you have a good plan in place for your stock acquisition to head off any challenges that might be on the horizon
Right stock, right shop – how to effectively stock your shops | Charity Retail Learning
British Heart Foundation research shows that 25% of UK wardrobes contain no preloved items
We’re doing great moving people over to buy preloved fashion – but we’re not there yet, as this survey from the BHF highlights
A quarter of the nation’s wardrobes contain no preloved items | BHF
Tik Tokker window takeover
Lots of love online for this Tik Tokker who volunteered to re-dress charity shop windows in Brighton
British Heart Foundation – London Road, Brighton @Scarlett Elizabeth… | TikTok
If you want to make a real impact with your window displays, we have lots of options for you
All Visual Merchandising Courses | Charity Retail Learning
More About Us
The Charity Retail Consultancy helps charity retailers and other non-profits be their brilliant best.
Charity Retail Learning provides online & face to face training developed by charity retailers, for charity retailers. We work in partnership with the Charity Retail Association to deliver training to their members and beyond.
The Charity Retail Coach – Dan O’Driscoll offers a first class executive coaching service
The Charity Retail Marketeer – Julian Temblett can support you with all your charity’s marketing needs
The Charity Retail Merchandiser – Kat Maclennan helps you create stunning and profitable displays in store and online
To find out more or to speak to us about how we can help you, please get in touch:
hello@thecharityretailconsultancy.co.uk
Jayne – 07598 243210
Vicki – 07985 574904
Follow us on social media:
This is a guest post by Billy Farrell, Assistant Director of Retail at Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland
Volunteering
Tackling isolation and loneliness is key to building stronger social connection and healthier communities. The Scottish Government recognises this in it’s “A connected Scotland” framework that resonates with the work of Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) and it’s No Life Half Lived strategy.
Paul Okroj, CHSS’s Director of People Driven Development, is sitting on the advisory panel to link in the work of the charity and volunteering more generally with the government’s plans. Volunteering provides people with the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships regardless of age, status or identity and CHSS believes it plays an essential role in this agenda.
Volunteering in charity shops is a wonderful example of this as we see time and time again that it is a rewarding experience for the volunteers themselves over and above the benefit to the charity and the wider community. From speaking to our volunteers we realise the increasingly role that volunteering in a CHSS shop is playing in reducing loneliness and isolation.
Understanding the problem
Isolation can happen for a variety of reasons, including geographical location, health issues, family breakdown, work or financial stress, and discrimination. At CHSS we have 40 shops from Hawick in the Scottish Borders to Forres in the Highlands, and people come to volunteer with us for all these reasons. Older adults who live in rural areas may be isolated due to limited transportation options or a lack of access to community resources. Similarly, individuals who suffer from chronic illness or disabilities may feel isolated due to mobility issues or the stigma associated with their condition.
Loneliness has been linked to an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and suicide. It can also lead to physical health issues such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and a weakened immune system – conditions that are central to the work of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. We often see through the services that we provide to people with our conditions the negative affect of loneliness on quality of life, including social withdrawal, loss of motivation to engage and worsening physical health.
That’s why we are always delighted when people who are recovering from a stroke or managing a long-term heart or chest condition, come to volunteer in one of our shops. Volunteering in a CHSS shop can provide a sense of community and belonging, which can help to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. By interacting with other volunteers and customers, individuals build meaningful connections and friendships.
How Volunteering can help
People who have lost a partner or loved one to one of our conditions are also often struggling with loneliness and isolation. They tell us that volunteering in a CHSS shop can provide a sense of purpose and fulfilment, they feel like they are contributing something to a cause that helped their loved one, and that in turn helps to improve their mental health and overall wellbeing.
Volunteering in a CHSS shop can help to break down social barriers and promote understanding and acceptance among a diverse range of people. Over the last year or so, we’ve welcomed Ukranian refugees into our shops as volunteers. Some of them have arrived here alone, isolated from their families. By working together towards a common goal in our shops, they have developed positive relationships and a sense of connection, and for some improved their English language skills too.
Is Volunteering right for you?
There are all sorts of people who experience loneliness and isolation. Volunteering in a CHSS shop not only helps us to raise vital funds for services that help people with our conditions, but also provides an important service to people who are seeking company and community. Loneliness can have negative impacts on both physical health as well as mental health, so we see it is a preventative health measure that ties in with our charity No Life Half Lived mission.
To read more about A connected Scotland, click here
To sign up to be a volunteer at CHSS, here is the link
Many thanks to Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland and their fantastic volunteers for the images used throughout
Charity Retail Learning Courses
Volunteering:
Volunteer Recruitment – how to develop, implement & review an effective volunteer recruitment plan
Volunteer Induction & Recognition
Billy’s Course:
Essential Stock Processes – from back room to shop floor
More About Us
The Charity Retail Consultancy helps charity retailers and other non-profits be their brilliant best.
Charity Retail Learning provides online & face to face training developed by charity retailers, for charity retailers. We work in partnership with the Charity Retail Association to deliver training to their members and beyond.
The Charity Retail Coach – Dan O’Driscoll offers a first class executive coaching service
The Charity Retail Marketeer – Julian Temblett can support you with all your charity’s marketing needs
The Charity Retail Merchandiser – Kat Maclennan helps you create stunning and profitable displays in store and online
To find out more or to speak to us about how we can help you, please get in touch:
hello@thecharityretailconsultancy.co.uk
Jayne – 07598 243210
Vicki – 07985 574904
Follow us on social media:
Each week we share with you our pick of the best stories on charity retail, shopping secondhand and the circular economy from the UK, Ireland and around the world.
We also add links to relevant Charity Retail Learning courses associated with each article to help you implement some of the ideas we’re sharing
Here’s our pick from the past 7 days
Charity Super.Mkt opens in Reading
It’s wonderful to see the next stop on the pop up tour of this brilliant collaboration – once again charities are working together to make a massive impact in a traditionally mainstream retail environment.
UK’s second multi-charity shop opens after London outlet raises £370,000 | Civil Society
Service delivery from charity shops
Do you deliver any part of your services via your shops? Retail is a great way to widen access to the work your charity does and makes the most of the space and resources you already have. We love this example from the US of Out of the Closet Thrift stores – a HIV charity that offers free HIV testing from its shops. (And what a great name for the chain too! Love it!)
Out of the Closet Thrift Stores | Facebook
Gumtree focusing on sustainability
Looks like Gumtree is raising its game – interesting to read it’s partnering with a charity, We wonder if this will be something it does more of in future – perhaps introducing a charity sellers programme, like ebay or Depop? Worth keeping an eye out.
The Drum | How Gumtree Plans To Change Perceptions Of Shopping Secondhand To Save The Planet
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Charity Retail Association members to get 10% discount on all Charity Retail Learning courses
From 1st April, if you’re a member of the CRA, you’ll automatically receive 10% off all CRL courses. Whether you buy one or two courses only or take up the fantastic subscription offer that gives you access to the entire suite of learning at a fraction of the price – you’ll get the same level of discount. Contact the CRA for your coupon code if you’re already a member – or find out more about how to join if you’re not.
Don’t forget to enter into the charity retail awards!
Closing date for entries is April 21st – make sure you’re shouting about all the brilliant things you do at your charity.
Charity Retail Awards 2023 | Charity Retail Association
More About Us
The Charity Retail Consultancy helps charity retailers and other non-profits be their brilliant best.
Charity Retail Learning provides online & face to face training developed by charity retailers, for charity retailers. We work in partnership with the Charity Retail Association to deliver training to their members and beyond.
The Charity Retail Coach – Dan O’Driscoll offers a first class executive coaching service
The Charity Retail Marketeer – Julian Temblett can support you with all your charity’s marketing needs
The Charity Retail Merchandiser – Kat Maclennan helps you create stunning and profitable displays in store and online
To find out more or to speak to us about how we can help you, please get in touch:
hello@thecharityretailconsultancy.co.uk
Jayne – 07598 243210
Vicki – 07985 574904
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