As Emma the assistant manager of the shop was working on her own she was very pleased to see me as she had to work the shop floor. As I volunteer at this shop on a Wednesday I was able to work in the back processing the endless bags of donations, and steaming some summer men’s clothes which the shop was lacking on the rails. Saturdays are a big day for people arriving at the back door with donations, and boy did they come. I worked from 9-1.30 and I saw in 6 people in total with 38 box/bags of “stuff” plus a book case & I bicycle! Emma closed the shop for her lunch, I paid for my purchases 🙈 and ran home with my carrier bag, not easy!

On a VERY wet Saturday morning Elizabeth, Sam and Andy arrived at EACH charity shop to help them sort out donations. Paul greeted us and told us what needed doing. Andy started on the steaming of clothes ready to hang in the shop, after a quick demo from Paul, he was away, Sam and Elizabeth were labelling items using the wonderful label gun! Rachel who works at the shop kept us informed of procedures , hopefully we didn’t put anything in the wrong place . Since opening after Lockdown 3 they’ve been inundated with donations, which is good on the one hand but VERY overwhelming on the other. In deed, in the 2 hours we were there, the back door was forever being opened and donations piled in. Paul eventually had to go and shut the gates.
Over the last year EACH has had to adapt to Covid-19 changes especially effecting their shops, some of their volunteers have had to step down, across their shops they are desperate for more Volunteers. If you are able to give anytime however small , to work in their shops behind the scenes, sorting, cleaning, shelf loading they’d be most grateful. Email Paul at paul. shorten@each.org.uk They want us back again soon on a Saturday.