Shop Volunteer - Saffron Walden

St Clare Hospice is a local charity and each year we care for hundreds of people across West Essex and the East Hertfordshire border. We provide free, compassionate care and support to adults with life-limiting illnesses, their families and carers.

Some of our volunteers assist mainly with the sorting of donated stock, or mainly with customer service in the front of the shop. Others have responsibility for a particular type of stock – e.g. books, clothes or bric-a-brac. Others do a bit of everything depending on what is required.

The following attempts to give a feel for all the things you could get involved with if you were able to assist with whatever needed doing:

• Sorting donated items – sorting what we can sell from what we can’t.
• Arranging items on the shop floor – decide what looks best where. Or would the item sell better via our eBay shop or in one of our specialist stores such as our music or designer item shops?
• Providing great customer service – welcoming everyone who comes into the shop with a ‘good morning / afternoon’ and a friendly smile.
• Serving customers at the till
• Accepting donations and processing Gift Aid – thanking everyone who comes in to donate, and checking if we can get more money from their donation via Gift Aid.

What skills do I need?

No prior retail experience is required. Instead you just need the following skills and qualities:

• Polite and helpful at all times when interacting with customers.
• Good at working as part of a team: gets on well with others, happy to help and support other team members.
• Also able to work independently when the role requires.
• Adaptable to change – willing to help with whatever needs doing in the best interests of the shop.
• Willing to learn and follow guidance / processes.
• Will take the initiative and find things that need doing during quieter periods.
• Hard working.

Interests

• Civic Responsibility and Communities
• No specific interest

Activities

• General Helping
• Practical Skills
• Retail
• Supporting Charities